


Mombasa Raha

by amusawale



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Character In The Closet, M/M, Mombasa, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-06-28 13:02:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 45,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15707760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusawale/pseuds/amusawale
Summary: Magnus came to Mombasa to meet a few warlocks. He ends up wandering on the beach in the morning and bumps into Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome. He doesn't know who (or what) Alec is as he has his runes covered with makeup because he's incognito.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Shelby posted a pic of Harry walking their dog on the beach and someone else posted a pic of Matthew lying on the beach. A fic was requested. I was bored.

[](https://ibb.co/eKt6fK)

Magnus was regretting leaving his shoes behind. The sand was that hot under his feet. He moved closer to the ocean, so he could walk in the coolness of the water. It was early, just 10 am in the morning and the sun already felt like it was walking alongside him. He really should be jogging right now. He’d promised Cat that this trip to Mombasa would involve healthy activity. He figured walking counted.

That was healthy.

Never mind the massive hangover he was suffering from because of overindulging last night. Who knew that _mnazi_ was that potent? He chuckled, thinking back to the three beach bums that had cornered him last evening as he’d been looking for some local flavor to immerse himself in. They’d taken him to a wood and makuti structure on the side of the road, that they swore up and down had the best alcohol Magnus would ever drink.

Magnus was always game to try anything once so he’d let his three new friends persuade him.

Well…he didn’t know about the _best_ alcohol but the alcoholic drink made out of coconut milk most definitely did have a kick. It had been a long time since he’d been _this_ hung over. This really wasn’t a good idea because his hosts for this trip, a coven of young warlocks, were expecting him by noon. He’d been hoping this walk would clear his head. Instead, all it was doing was making him sweat.

He sighed, eyes on the horizon, watching the fishermen in their boats chase a mid morning haul. He could do with a nice fillet for lunch he thought and his stomach lurched as if in rebellion.

Okay, maybe not today.

His face bumped into a solid wall of muscle and he would have fallen if a hand hadn’t shot out, gripping his wrist hard. He shook his head, feeling dizzy before trying to see who had slammed into him and then rescued him from an undignified sprawl. His eyes met a wide hairy chest and he had to look up to see the man’s face. Magnus wasn’t used to looking up at people. Most people looked up at him.

“Oh,” he said as his eyes met concerned hazel eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” the man said.

Magnus let his eyes wander from the furrowed brow to the wide, guileless hazel eyes, down to that absolutely thick, lush, sinful mouth, his clear unblemished skin clearly indicating that he led a guilt-free life. His shoulders went on for a good long while, and his chest, liberally covered with hair was a sight to behold. Magnus didn’t dare go lower. He was clad only in shorts and should his body decide to misbehave, the results would be obvious to all and sundry.

“Well, hello,” he said instead, not even trying to hide his admiration.

“H-hi,” the man said and Magnus found himself taking a step closer, “Who are you?” he asked.

“Um, m-my name’s A-Alec. Alec Lightwood,” the man said. Magnus looked into his eyes and knew that the attraction was mutual.

“Well…A-Alec. I’m Magnus. Magnus Bane. And I am _very_ pleased to meet you.”

Alec still had his hand wound tight around Magnus’ wrist and Magnus wasn’t going to be the first to remove it. Alec swallowed hard seemingly at a loss for words. Magnus smiled smugly.

“I know,” he said, “I do have that effect on people. Would you like to come back to my apartment? Get to know me a little? You can keep my wrist if you want.”

That had the effect – unfortunately – of making Alec drop his hold in a hurry.

“Uh, I…my…I can’t.” Alec said.

“You sure?” Magnus asked leaning closer.

Alec sighed, closing his eyes and opening them again, “I’m sure,” he said.

Magnus sighed, “Fine. But I liked what I saw.”

He took a step back and smiled.

“I have a feeling we shall meet again, Alec Lightwood.”

Alec nodded jerkily and Magnus whirled and made his – jauntier – way back to his apartment. So he didn’t hear Alec say, “God I hope so.”

 


	2. Hunting at the Coast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec work the case from opposite ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was meant to be a one-shot but it said no. I'm sorry.

Magnus retouched his eyeliner, added a streak of pure white in his hair, examined himself from his left side and then his right and nodded. He was ready to go.

He swept up his man purse, swinging the strap over his shoulder and walked out of his Airbnb not bothering to lock up behind him. The block of apartments was right by the sea and there were several caretakers around and adequate security. If anyone was that desperate for his make up bag or sandals, they were welcome to them.

He took the stairs two at a time, nodding to Joseph, one of the caretakers climbing up with a mop and bucket.

He was running a little late but he knew the warlocks he was meeting wouldn’t mind. Time moved differently here; slower. People were less concerned with keeping it than your average New Yorker. He thought about portaling straight there but didn’t want to disappear into thin air. Unlike the average mundane New Yorker, the locals might notice if he did that. They were much more attuned to the supernatural around here.

Instead of portaling, he stepped out of his apartment block and hailed a passing tuk-tuk. They were a three-wheeled motor vehicle that the locals used as taxis. With their open sides, they were much more comfortable for travel in the heat and Magnus liked to strike up conversations with the drivers. His Kiswahili was not really up to local standards, but most drivers spoke good enough English to converse with tourists. They also loved to gossip and could update Magnus on the location of the latest rave to the newest story about a djinni tricking someone into either taking them home or getting killed. All Magnus had to do was ask a question.

“Don’t pick up money from the ground,” his driver warned him with concern, “It is usually a trick from a djinni or cursed.”

Magnus knew that for sure some of these stories were true. It was why he was in town. The local warlocks needed help.

His help.

The tuk-tuk turned in to Mama Ngina drive and dropped him off at the park bench where the warlocks said they would meet him. The park bordered the ocean just next to where the ferry docked. He watched it arrive and hundreds of people disembark, as hundreds more waited to get on.

“Magnus Bane,” a melodic voice said from behind him and he turned to find a bearded gentleman of dusky complexion. He was wearing a white _thawb_ that did nothing to disguise the shorts and t-shirt he was wearing underneath with brown sandals on his feet.

“You must be Yousef Moustafa,” Magnus said.

The man inclined his head.

“Come with me,” he said and turned, walking toward a rocky outcrop that bordered the seashore. Magnus could see a man wading in the shallows, which were filled with dirt and debris. He for sure wasn’t fishing but he seemed intent on finding _something_.

Yousef began to descend the steep gradient of rock and dirt carefully and Magnus followed. Before they reached the seashore he turned into a cave-like entrance, from whence a blue light throbbed. Magnus could feel his heart pound in his chest. He’d never actually met a djinni despite his long years in the shadow world. He wasn’t sure he was about to meet one now but according to the fire message he’d received from the Mombasa warlocks, that was the crux of their problem.

∞

Alec Lightwood stepped into Fort Jesus, following the winding maze of corridors until he came to the false wall that opened into the Mombasa Institute. He placed his hand on the stone wall and it dissolved, letting him in and reforming behind him. Shadowhunters were busy scurrying every which way, moving much faster than the average Coasterian. They were on the trail of something. They didn’t know what, but its power signature was off the charts. Alec was here to act as liaison; his mother was relying on him to excel at this assignment. She seemed to think his political career depended upon it. Alec had been thrilled at the opportunity to prove himself. And everything was going great.

Well, as great as it could go with an unknown threat at large.

As great as could be expected with his libido suddenly coming to life and clamoring for him to walk down the beach and into that apartment block he’d seen that guy disappear into. Just walk in there, find him and fuck him into the nearest flat surface. This was Mombasa. Nobody knew him from Adam here. What could it hurt?

 


	3. Evil Djinni Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus are hunting the same monster. But they don't know that.

The head of the Mombasa institute led him to his office and offered him a cup of masala tea. Alec accepted as a sign of courtesy though his stomach was too twisted up for him to really want to put anything in it.

“So tell me about this Djinni problem. You say they’re causing havoc amongst the mundanes?”

“My people have always believed in the supernatural, and they have always practiced witchcraft as part of their culture. Keeping a household djinni to affect a family’s prosperity is not new to us. But recently, a more malevolent spirit has come into our realm. This spirit is like an enhancer, compounding the demonic nature of other djinnis. Spreading evil from home to home like a virus. Three mundanes have died already of a mysterious illness that we know of. We think its demon related. If we don’t trap this thing, and send it back from whence it came, things could get really bad.”

Alec frowned as he nodded, thinking furiously. He hadn’t heard of such a thing before. A demon which infected other demon-blooded creatures?

“Is it just the djinnis or are other downworlders affected?”

“We don’t know. So far we have not heard anything. But the downworlders keep to themselves. They do not share intel with us.”

Alec nodded, knowing full well how that was. Downworlders and shadowhunters did not interact unless they absolutely had to.

“I’ll need to examine the crime scene where this djinni has been. We can start with the homes of the mundanes. Search for clues. We might need a warlock to help identify the demon responsible. Do you have any on your payroll?”

“We do. And we have reached out to them. We are awaiting a response.”

Alec nodded, “Okay, let’s get to the crime scenes then.”

∞

“We do not know what it is,” Yousef said as they stood in the cavern and stared at the pulsing light emanating from a dying seelie, “All we know is that it is powerful. Powerful enough to poison a seelie.”

Magnus shook his head in sympathy as he studied the demonic energy streaking through the seelie’s body, killing him slowly, “This is definitely something I’ve never encountered before. But I feel its malevolence. Do the shadowhunters know of this?”

“They have asked us to help identify what it is. That is why we need you Magnus. This is beyond our skills.”

“I will need to trace the signature to the source. I cannot do this alone. You will need to inform the High Warlock of Mombasa that I will need at least five warlocks. This magic is strong, we must be stronger.”

“ _Haya **[1]**_ Magnus.”

“In the meantime, I will go to my room and prepare. We hunt this thing tonight with her permission.”

“I am sure the high warlock will give it. The warlocks are in fear however. Getting five to step forward might not be easy.”

Magnus sighed. He really could not blame them. The energy he was feeling made him want to recoil from it in fear and loathing. But whatever happened, they needed to deal with this thing.

“At least I know I can count on you Yousef.”

He made sure not to make it a question.

Yousef sighed.

“Of course Magnus. And I will find you four more. It may take more than one day though.”

“Very well, we shall prepare and tomorrow night, we hunt.”

Yousef bowed to him and left. Magnus stayed with the dying seelie a while longer before he too, decided to go. He had to fortify himself to maybe face this thing. A nice martini cocktail, some meditation and study, and a short rest were called for.

∞

Alec got back to his room feeling unclean and unsettled. Whatever the thing was that they were hunting, it was nothing like he’d ever seen before. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was scared. His mind went to the man on the beach as he let the lukewarm shower water beat over his head. His hand went to his cock and he pulled at it, thinking. He’d seen the apartments the man went into. Probably he was some mundane tourist, here for a good time. What would it hurt if Alec gave it to him? His mother was expecting him to make a good match once he got home. This thing they were hunting might kill him. He did not want to die a virgin. He did not want to marry a woman without knowing – _just once_ – how it felt to be with a man. Nobody would know. Nobody could be hurt by this.

He was getting dressed and leaving his hotel room before he knew it, making his way down the beach, taking in the sunset. There was a bunch of young men playing rugby on the beach and he stopped to watch the game for a bit since there was nowhere to pass without risking injury. Once the game moved to the other side of the beach he continued walking until he came to the beachfront apartments. He shaded his eyes, looking up, at all the windows. One of them contained his mystery man. But what the fuck did he think he was doing?

Magnus Bane.

That had been his name.

He could maybe go and see if anyone knew a person by that name?

He began to climb the stairs slowly, opening the half gate that separated the property from the beach and stepped in.

“Well look who it is,” a familiar voice said to his right. He turned his head to behold Magnus, sitting shirtless on a grassy knoll, facing the ocean, legs crossed as if he was doing yoga. Beside him was a cocktail glass and in his hand a blunt.

He smiled at Alec, “Looks like my prayers have been answered,” he said.

Alec’s mouth went dry.

 

 

[1] okay


	4. GatDamn!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec loses his virginity.

“H-hi.”

Now that he was actually in front of Magnus Bane, Alec found that he could hardly think, or breathe, or see really. His vision was hazy and his hands shook…he literally felt his knees go weak. This was bad. This was very bad.

“Uh…”

His mouth hung open and he knew he must look like some kind of moron but he couldn’t help himself. Magnus stood up, very graceful and smooth in his movements despite the fact that the blunt was smoked almost to its end.

“Well hello Alec Lightwood, this is a surprise,” Magnus said strolling over in his bare feet. They were long and elegant with expertly manicured and polished pink nails and Alec couldn’t _think._

“Y-you remember my name,” Alec couldn’t imagine why a man like Magnus would.

“Of course I do. You’re the darling man who saved me from the humiliation of falling on my ass in front of a stranger. I would never forget.” Magnus reached out with his be-ringed finger, tipped with black nail polish and chucked Alec under the chin, his face was very close.

Alec grinned or rather his mouth spread out in a wide smile without his permission. He could feel the heat in his cheeks and prayed that Magnus would assume it was because of the weather and the walk. The finger under his chin trailed down his throat to trace patterns on his chest.

“So, Alexander, what can I do for you?” Magnus suddenly stilled, lashes fluttering as brown eyes rose to meet his, “You _did_ come to see me, didn’t you?”

“Uh…yeah,” Alec wanted to slap his own face at how awkward he was being. He was a soldier Goddamnit. He had ice in his veins. He didn’t know who this blubbering, stuttering person was but he needed to _go_.

Magnus smiled, “Good. Come along then.”

He turned gracefully, swooping down to pick up his glass before leading the way around the pool and toward some stairs. Alec followed silently, nodding awkwardly to an old couple taking in the last rays of sun on their leathery skin. He followed Magnus up two flights of stairs and came to a stop when he did, in front of a plain white door. Magnus reached out and pushed the door open and Alec raised an eyebrow.

“You leave your door ajar?” he asked.

Magnus shrugged, “Its Mombasa. The building is secure. I doubt my neighbors can fit in my clothes so I’m good.”

Alec nodded, internally boggled at such a blasé attitude toward security. But he got what Magnus was saying. Random thievery didn’t seem to be the Mombasa way.

Still.

He looked around, taking in the antique Swahili furniture. The apartment wasn’t large but it gave off an air of spaciousness that Alec couldn’t quite put his finger on. Magnus sauntered over to the fridge.

“Drink?” he asked already reaching inside for bottles.

“Sure,” Alec replied, perching himself on the edge of the safari chair, barely stopping himself from clinging to the arms like some gauche schoolboy. He heard the sound of ice clinking around a glass and liquid pouring and then Magnus was handing him an orangey red drink complete with olive.

“Oh,” he said eyebrows raised as he took a cautious sip. He _just_ managed to stop himself from coughing, surprised at how strong it was. Magnus was watching him with benevolent amusement.

“Too much?” he asked.

“N-no,” Alec wheezed and took another sip to prove it. His eyes squinched shut as he swallowed and Magnus outright laughed. He _laughed!_

“Let me make you something a little sweeter, less alcoholic,” he said his voice light and happy-seeming. Alec was torn between being pleased at causing it and annoyed at being treated like a kid.

“This is fine,” He protested, his voice higher than usual.

Magnus said nothing, just mixed things on his kitchen counter and then came and replaced Alec’s glass with another, this one containing blue liquid. Alec took a cautious sip and his whole face relaxed.

“Better?” a smiling Magnus asked.

Alec nodded, avoiding his eyes.

Magnus took the seat _right next_ to him and crossed his legs, sipping from Alec’s former glass.

“So, Alec. What brings you to Mombasa? And please don’t say honeymoon!”

Alec laughed, “Nah. I’m not married…or with anyone,” he hastened to add. Magnus just flicked his eyebrow up. He leaned toward Alec, placing his elbow on the arm of Alec’s chair studying him intently, a smile flickering on his lips.

“What are you then, Alec Lightwood?” he asked his voice low and intimate.

Alec swallowed, darting glances at Magnus’ way-too-close face. This wasn’t meant to be some intimate…connection. It was meant to be sex and that’s it. Wham bam, thank you, sir. See you never. So why did he want to curl up in Magnus’ lap and tell him every single detail of his pathetic little life?

Magnus' hand reached out, finger tracing Alec’s jaw, “What is it that you want from me Alexander?” he whispered.

Alec put down his glass, took a deep breath and went for it. He captured Magnus’ lips with his and just…sucked them down. He surrendered to all the feelings swirling around in his stomach and let them take him over, pulling Magnus to him and trying to literally swallow him down. Magnus was pliant in his arms, unresisting…but not really participating.

Alec pulled back, suddenly mortified, “Oh my God I’m so sorry.”

Magnus’ mobile eyebrow rose again, “Why?”

“I just…kissed you without permission.”

The smile on Magnus’ face widened, “Alexander darling, trust me on this if I didn’t want you to kiss me you would not have gotten _anywhere_ near me.”

Alec just stared for a bit, “Oh,” he said.

“Yes. Now, where were we?” Magnus said angling his head so that Alec could swoop down and take his lips again.

“You…think we could…uh…move to your bedroom?” Alec asked and then swallowed, feeling like his body was a runaway train, speeding down a steep cliff, gaining velocity so fast there were no brakes that could stop it now. He wondered if he would even be able to walk to Magnus’ room. His dick was so irretrievably hard.

[](https://imgbb.com/)

Magnus took his hand and helped him to his feet. He ignored the tent in Alec’s shorts, leading him slowly to his sleeping quarters. Alec had about a second to note the antique Malindi four-poster that dominated the room before Magnus was flinging him onto it and divesting him of his shorts. Before he knew it, his dick was so far down Magnus’ throat it was almost unlikely to be really happening. He was probably tripping.

When Alec thought about that moment in later times, it never failed to fill him with deep and enduring embarrassment, the speed with which he came – no warning – down Magnus' throat. The other man took it like a champ though, just licked him of every last drop of come like they were in some sort of porn movie before straddling Alec, watching him with a smug smile.

“I’m so sorry,” was all Alec could think to say.

Magnus laughed, “ _Please_ , don’t apologize. It’s a compliment to my master skills that you have no control over your libido.”

Alec didn’t have the heart to tell him that, yes, while his skills had definitely played a part, Alec’s inexperience was probably mostly to blame for that disgusting display of one-second-manhood.

The good news was, his recovery time was just as fast, and he could already feel himself chubbing up again beneath Magnus’ ass. The other man laughed in delight as he felt Alec’s dick jerk.

“Oh I think I like this one,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss Alec. Alec opened his mouth and really went to town on Magnus’. Kissing him like his life depended on it. Magnus somehow flipped them so that Alec was on top.

“You wanna fuck me?” he whispered in Alec’s ear and Alec almost came again right then.

“Yes please,” he whispered back.

Magnus laughed at the strain in his voice before opening his palm and placing a bottle of lube in it. Alec’s heart began to pound for a different reason. He didn’t know how to do this. And he didn’t want to ask. He poured some lube onto his palm and shuffled downward as Magnus widened his legs to give him room. He peered anxiously at Magnus’ asscrack, looking for the hole. Slowly, oh so slowly, he pressed his hand in, ready to withdraw at the first sign of discomfort or pain. Magnus just wriggled encouragingly, pulling Alec’s finger deeper into him.

“Mmmm,” he murmured, arching his back when Alec wiggled his finger from side to side. Alec relaxed, he could do this. He took his time, adding one finger, then two, then three. Magnus complained intermittently at how slow he was going, interspersed with moans of encouragement when he hit a sensitive spot and caused Magnus to arch off the bed in reaction. Alec couldn’t believe how much he was enjoying himself just learning Magnus’ body. He could do this all day.

“Alexander now!” Magnus growled.

Yeah, Magnus was right. Ejaculating prematurely once was forgivable. Twice would be too much to ever live down. He needed to put his dick to use before it let him down again. He pressed the head against Magnus’ hole, watching his face anxiously.

“Alexander!” Magnus growled again, impatient, wiggling to pull Alec into him. Alec leaned forward, letting the weight of his body push his dick into Magnus body. His brain shorted out as his dick slid home. There was no description. There was no likening this to anything he’d ever experienced before. This was new. This was…transcendental.

He was gonna come before he thrust even once.

Frantically he thought about the evil djinni he would have to find a way to kill soon. The one that could kill him. He could die.

The thought gave him enough control that he wasn’t right at the edge of coming. He thrust into Magnus slowly, carefully, watching his face contort in reaction.

“Alexander, if you don’t _move_ now…I swear…” Magnus gritted, wrapping his legs around Alec’s torso and arching upward.

“Aah!” 

The sound was torn from Alec’s lips as his body took over, thrusting frantically and with no finesse at all into Magnus body. From the encouraging sounds Magnus was making, he didn’t mind at all. Alec surrendered to his emotions, understanding at last what all the fuss was about. He wanted this.

He wanted this forever.

He was so fucked.

 


	5. Let Me Dash...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aftermath of sexual awakening

“Breathe,” Magnus said handing him a brown paper bag to hyperventilate into.

“S-s-s-orry,” Alec tried to apologize while simultaneously getting his breathing under control.

“Don’t apologize. Breathe.” Magnus said rubbing his shoulder soothingly.

Alec’s face was flaming with embarrassment. He could not believe he’d followed up that phenomenal sex with a full fledged panic attack. He’d never had one before but he remembered that Jace used to react just like this sometimes in the early days when he’d come to live with them. There was no rhyme or reason to his attacks that Alec could see. Anything could set him off. And now Alec was having one.

Over breaking his virginity.

Fuck his _life_.

Magnus went to the kitchen counter and poured something into a glance, bringing a glass to Alec to drink. The liquid was clear with ice clinking in the glass. Alec hoped it wasn’t alcoholic. He didn’t think he could keep it down. He sipped cautiously, relieved to find that it was just water. He drank it down, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen a bit.

“Better?” Magnus asked as if he was some sort of psychic.

“Yes, thank you.”

Magnus took the glass away from him and set it down on the table, seating himself at the very edge of the table as well, as he studied Alec.

“What was that about?” he asked gently.

Alec shook his head, “Nothing. I just…it…I…” Alec had nothing.

Magnus reached out and rubbed his cheek with an indulgent smile, “Would you like to get something to eat maybe?”

Alec was about to agree when he remembered that this was supposed to be a one night stand. He couldn’t start a relationship. Especially not with a mundane. He couldn’t afford to get distracted. He was here to help the local institute kill a new evil. He should probably get back to his room and contact his institute. He needed information.

He shook his head, standing up, “Thank you very much for everything, really. But I have to go.”

Magnus face fell, “Oh. Okay.” His lips pursed like he was just stopping himself from saying anything else. Alec wanted to apologize or something. Instead he turned and headed for the door.

“Well…thanks,” he said before opening the door and walking away.

∞

“Jerk,” Magnus murmured under his breath as the beautiful man left him standing in the middle of his living room. He knew a fuck and dash when he saw one. For some reason, he’d thought he and Alexander had really connected.

“I guess I was wrong,” he murmured to himself, swallowing the bitter disappointment that coated his throat, “It’s probably not a good idea to get involved with a mundane anyway,” he told himself. He decided to send a fire message to brother Zachariah to distract himself. He needed more information about Djinnis in general and what this new thing that was controlling them could be. The silent brothers with their ancient tomes were probably the best source at the moment. He would help the local warlocks with this problem and get back home.

Maybe it was time to start thinking about dating seriously again. Clearly he was becoming a little needy bitch if a mundane’s behavior had him all discombobulated.

He determinedly put Alexander Lightwood out of his mind and got to work.


	6. Musical Chairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Developments happen in the case.

“Mr. Lightwood, it is good you have come. There has been a new death in Kisauni. We are just heading there to see,” Ali Masud, the Head of Institute for Mombasa said as soon as Alec keyed himself in.

Alec mentally shook himself and firmly putting the persistent thoughts of Magnus out of his mind. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since he’d left his room last night.

 “What happened?” he asked.

“A man was found outside his doorway, his insides all burnt out. The wife told the police he had called last night, said he was going to go to the mosque and then come straight home. He didn’t but she thought nothing of it because he sometimes goes to see his other family in Kondele without telling her. It was only when she opened the door that she found his body.”

“Is it still there? Did the police touch it?” Alec asked even as he sheathed his seraph blade and fitted his bow and arrow more securely on his back.

“Oh no. The locals know better than that. They are waiting for me.” Ali said.

Alec’s eyebrows went up, “The mundanes know about us?” he asked.

Ali shook his head, “Oh no, they think we are some kind of witchdoctors. But I have a contact on the local force that usually makes sure things aren’t moved around too much in these cases.”

Alec nodded, “Let’s go then.”

They arrived at the scene to see that a large crowd was still milling around, gossiping about the case. They parted to make way for Ali as if he was Moses parting the red sea. Alec followed behind him, eyes on the body that lay as if flung in front of a blue door. There were a number of wailing women nearby and two brown-skinned kids with wide eyes and unruly curly hair stared at everything like they didn’t understand.

“Get those kids out of here!” Alec snapped and one of the women gathered them to her and led them away.

Alec bent down, noting the black ichor oozing from a hole in the man’s stomach. His skin was blackened as if he’d stuck a grill down his throat and roasted himself from the inside out. Ali walked over to the women, asking them in Kiswahili which one of them was the man’s wife.

One of the women stepped forward, trembling from head to toe.

She spoke to Ali softly, words seemingly pleading with repeated exhortations to her companions to back up whatever she was saying. Alec understood maybe a word in three of what she was saying, but it was mostly denials that she had had anything to do with the man’s death.

“Miye sikumroga. Haki ya Mungu![1]” she said hand on her forehead as she looked at Ali intently. He simply nodded.

“Lakini mko na majini nyumbanie?[2]” he asked.

The woman hesitated for a fraction of a second and Ali pressed closer, warning her not to lie to him. She nodded her head, darting a glance at the other women like she didn’t want them to know that.

“Where is the Djinni now?” Alec asked.

Ali repeated the question in Kiswahili for the lady.

“She says there was a disturbance in the night, the house shook a bit. When she tried to call the Djinni this morning there was no answer.”

“So what do you think? The Djinni do this?” Alec asked, his voice lowered so no one else could hear.

“I think whatever did this also did the Djinni in.”

“Can we take the body with us? Back to the lab?”

Ali sighed, “They are Muslims and would want to bury him today, before sundown so we better hurry this up.”

Alec nodded to the two personnel they had with them and they came forward and covered the body, taking it away with them.

“Tell them we’ll return the body soon.” Alec said hoping he wasn’t lying.

∞

“The Shadowhunters have taken the body but I think we can trace the energy to its source.” Yusef said as they stood just out of sight of the crowd. Magnus tried to pay attention to what he was saying but he was distracted when he saw a tall white man disappearing in the crowd. He looked eerily like Alec and Magnus was annoyed at himself for seeing the other man everywhere. It was so stupid. This was not his first one night stand and it most certainly would not be his last. To be this maudlin over a man he’d just met was just…tacky.

“Shall we go?” Yusef prompted and Magnus startled.

“Yes, lets.” He said and began to make his way to the crime scene. They were already cloaked so they made their stealthy way through the crowd, feeling the energy signature left behind by whatever had flung the hapless man on his doorstep. They began to track the signature, a strong aura of malevolence surrounding it. It led them downtown to the back end of an alley of buildings deep in Old Town.

They came to a sudden stop, prevented from forward motion by an invisible barrier. Magnus and Yusef exchanged glances, eyebrows raised.

“Do you know this spell caster?” Magnus asked.

Yusef shook his head slowly, “I do not think we have warlocks this strong in my city.”

“So what do we do? Stake the place out?”

Yusef nodded, “I will gather my warlocks to do so. You and I need to figure out what we are dealing with and how to stop it.”

Magnus sighed, “So…research?”

“You said you had some ancient texts? From the silent brothers.”

“Yes indeed I do. Let’s go.”

∞

Magnus and Yusef were knee deep in parchment when there was a soft knock on the door. Magnus frowned, having specifically told Joseph he didn’t want to be disturbed today. So it definitely wasn’t the cleaners. So who could be knocking at – he checked his watch – 3pm in the afternoon? He realized that they’d worked straight through lunch and now that he was paying attention, found that he was quite hungry. Perhaps an interruption was a good idea. He could send whoever it was down to the restaurant on the beach for some pilau and chicken takeaway.

He stood up quickly and went to open the door.

∞

Alec had finished up at the Mombasa Institute at midday. Whatever had burnt out the unfortunate Mr. Mshila had been otherworldly, some demonic hybrid powerful enough to burn a man with his touch. They had found man-shaped finger marks on the _inside_ of the man’s throat and they were puzzled as hell but there was nothing further to be learned from his body so they released the dearly departed to his family. Alec had gotten in touch with the New York Institute, asking Isabelle if she’d ever heard of such a thing. She’d promised to get back to him. Now there was nothing left to do but wait. Alec returned to his room and paced for a while, eyes straying without his permission to the window from where he could see the beach, and the Indian ocean, the tide just coming in. He could also see a ways down the beach until it curved out of sight, and just out of sight, was where Magnus’ apartment was.

“I should apologize to him for leaving so abruptly last night,” Alec told himself, “Yes, I should.”

He grabbed his wallet, stele and phone, made sure every inch of his skin was still covered with the fine dusting of make up that hid his runes and made his way to Magnus.

∞

Magnus opened his door without checking the peephole, mouth already open to ask Joseph or whichever of his minions he’d sent to get him some food. He already had his wallet in hand. So it took a moment to realize that it wasn’t a worker standing on  his doorstep but Alexander Lightwood, one-night-stand-extraordinaire.

“Magnus,” Alexander said sounding sheepish.

 

 

[1] I did not curse him. I swear to God!

[2] But you have a Djinni in your home right?


	7. Awkward is My Middle Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec tries to talk. Magnus tries to listen.

Magnus suppressed the urge his fingers had to fly to his hair and check that it was still perfectly coiffed.

He knew it was.

His hair was always perfect.

But somehow, just _looking_ at Alec made him feel bedraggled and not worth a second glance.

“Uh…hello,” he said.

“Hi Magnus, I er…can I come in?”

Magnus started, realizing they were standing in his doorway, staring at each other.

“Sure,” he said moving aside. Alec stepped in and stopped abruptly, surprise on his face. Magnus remembered he wasn’t alone in the apartment.

“Oh, this is my…friend, Yusuf,” he said.

Yusuf was standing near the balcony, and all the parchment that had been spread all around the room was gone. Magnus sighed inwardly, cursing himself out for such a rookie mistake. If Yusuf hadn’t been here, he’d have had a lot of ‘splainin to do.

“He-hello,” Alec said, his eyes narrowed at Yusuf as if he was some sort of riv-.

Wait.

Magnus looked from a bristling Alec to a cool and calm Yusuf, and couldn’t help feeling amused at Alec’s assumptions. Also since when did Alec have the right to make assumptions about his life? Also serve him right for leaving Magnus high and dry last night. But also, high five to himself for calling it; he _knew_ there was something more than sex between them. He took a deep breath, wondering if he should try to explain Yusuf’s presence more comprehensively but he was too busy smiling.

Yusuf’s warm brown eyes caught his, a hint of amusement in them, “Magnus, I will go and get some lunch and then come back,” he said in a sing-song cadence, playing up his Swahili heritage.

“Yes, bring me back some Biryiani okay?” Magnus said as he moved aside for Yusuf to pass. The other warlock nodded as they exchanged amused glances and then he left.

Alec's jaw clenched.

“So…is that your boyfriend?” he asked after Yusuf’s footsteps had faded.

“My…? No, Yusuf is a colleague actually. We were working.” Magnus decided to put Alec out of his misery. The other man looked pointedly around the room; devoid of laptops or any other stationery that might depict a working relationship.

“Oh really?” he said still searching for some mythical work tools, “and what is it that you do?”

Magnus sauntered over to the Lamu daybed situated across from the balcony and folded himself onto it, “I’m a consultant,” he said.

Alec followed him, seating himself in the armchair on his right, “Oh yeah? What’s your field?”

Magnus lifted an eyebrow, “Surely you didn’t come all this way to discuss my work life Alexander,” he said with a coy smile.

Alec shook his head and looked down, blushing furiously, “No I…uh. I thought I should come and apologize about last night. I know I left rather abruptly.”

“You did.” Magnus agreed.

“I’m…sorry,” Alec said lifting his eyes to meet Magnus’.

The warlock smiled, “You’re forgiven,” he said graciously, “Can I offer you a drink?”

Alec shook his head, standing up, “I don’t want to disturb your work day. Maybe we can have a drink later tonight?”

Magnus smiled, “That would be very enjoyable. Perhaps we can go out; take in the local nightlife. I happen to know a great place to get some local brew.”

Alec’s eyebrow went up, “Er, okay then,” he said.

“Excellent,” Magnus said clapping his hands, “I will see you tonight.”

“Yes okay, see you tonight Magnus.”

Alec simply stood there, staring at Magnus, not moving toward the door so Magnus did the same. When he got tired of Alec’s statue act, he leaned in, touching his lips softly to Alec’s. The other man smiled, whole face flushed with pleasure. Magnus was beginning to wonder just how much of a greenhorn Alec really was.

“Goodbye Alexander,” he said.

“I-I’ll see you,” Alec said and finally headed for the door.

Magnus closed it gently behind him and snorted.

That mundane would be the death of him.


	8. Dinner and Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus takes Alec on a date

Magnus applied his mascara carefully, not just because he didn’t want to get black ink in his eye, but also because he’d just painted his nails. They were a nice blood red color now, to match the highlights in his hair and the maroon braid in his black artfully ripped jeans. He’d debated whether to put the color in his hair. Alec might wonder how he’d managed to change it so fast, but there were always spray-on dyes to account for that. He slipped his feet into leather sandals, straightening his asymmetrical gray t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase Bi-Con in bright glittering pink letters.

He studied himself critically in the glass.

“Hmm, not bad Bane,” he murmured smugly to himself before reaching for his wallet and tucking it into his back pocket. Alec had sent him a text, letting him know he was waiting just outside the beach gate. He walked past Joseph as he cleaned the pool and nodded amiably to the caretaker. Joseph narrowed his eyes at him.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Magnus smiled incredulously, surprised at the question. He gestured with his fingers toward the gate, knowing that Joseph couldn’t see Alec from where he stood, what with the white wall that obscured his tall lanky frame.

“Chief, it is not safe at this time. See the sun is setting. The beach is empty. Why don’t you stay inside or go out that way?” he pointed toward the gate.

Magnus’ smile became more amused than bemused and he patted Joseph gently on the shoulder, “Don’t worry about me Joseph, I can take care of myself.”

He could see that Joseph was about to open his mouth to try to persuade him further so he hastened away before the caretaker could say another word. Alec turned as Magnus opened the gate, making it squeak.

“Hey,” he said face already flaming.

“Hello Alexander, it’s nice to see you.” Magnus said reaching for Alec’s arm and tucking his own arm into it, “this way.”

As they walked, the sunset pretty fast and the beach was bathed in darkness. Magnus could see shadowy figures lurking under the palm trees but he wasn’t a bit scared. They were clearly human and seemed to be wise enough not to approach. Magnus didn’t know how he would explain himself if he had to do magic in front of Alec but he supposed he could always wipe his memory.

They walked peacefully, enjoying the breeze from the sea until they reached a kibanda[1]. It wasn’t the same one at which Magnus had first tasted mnazi but similar enough that he figured they could get some. He led Alec into it, expecting complaint and surprised not to get it. They were seated on a wooden bench by a cheerful fat Swahili man who asked them what they wanted to drink.

[](https://ibb.co/gzKSC9)   


“Uko na mnazi?[2]” Magnus asked enunciating carefully.

The man grinned happily to hear Magnus speak Swahili and hurried off much faster than a man of his size should be able to move in the Mombasa heat. He came back with two coconuts chopped in half, with a straw stuck in each one. He placed them carefully on the table before asking if they wanted anything to eat.

[](https://ibb.co/mZpus9)

Magnus turned to Alec, “Have you tried any Swahili dishes yet?” he asked.

“I’ve eaten samosas?” Alec said uncertainly.

Magnus laughed, “Well then, let’s immerse you completely in the experience.”  
“Please do.” Alec said.

Magnus turned to the waiter, “Tuletee Biryiani tafadhali[3],” he said.

“Biryiani with mutton or chicken?” the man asked.

Magnus turned to Alec, eyebrows raised.

“How about you take mutton and I’ll take chicken,” Alec suggested.

Magnus smiled wide and nodded at the waiter. The man went off and Alec took as sip of his drink. He immediately began to cough like he was choking. Magnus laughed.

“Pace yourself young padawan,” he said.

Alec narrowed his eyes at him, clearing his throat before taking a second, more cautious sip.

“Mm.” he said skeptically.

“Good or no?”

“I can’t tell yet. My head is swimming though.”

Magnus laughed again.

“So how do you know Kiswahili so well?” Alec asked.

Magnus shrugged. He couldn’t exactly tell Alec that he’d once traveled with the Persians as they came to trade on the coast and that he’d visited Mombasa before the Portuguese came let alone the English.

“Like I said, I do a lot of business here so I found that it paid to learn the language.”

Alec nodded, taking another sip, “So what is this we’re drinking?”

“It’s a kind of palm wine made of the juice of coconuts.”

Alec smiled, “Sounds healthy.”

Magnus laughed, “It’s still alcohol though.” He said taking another sip of his own drink. He looked up at Alec just as the other man looked at him and they were caught in a little bubble where time froze and they just drowned in each other’s eyes. The clink of cutlery being arranged on their table drew them out their mutually induced daze and Alec blinked rapidly as if coming out of a dream.

Magnus reached down and took another sip of his drink.

There was a slightly awkward silence.

“So...what is it that you do Alexander?” Magnus asked but that just seemed to make the other man even more awkward.

“I uh…work for a firm that has a subsidiary here,” he said.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, so I’m just uh, checking up on operations.”

“Sounds…riveting,” Magnus said with a grin. Alec returned it, and then looked down and blushed.

“Well, it can be interesting,” he said.

Magnus nodded, deciding that this line of questioning wasn’t really taking them where he wanted them to go…which was back to bed. Whatever Alec was doing, clearly he wasn’t comfortable speaking about it. Magnus could relate.

The waiter brought their food and Magnus watched as Alec examined his plate piled with multicolored rice in a ring, in the centre of which was a thick brown sauce cradling a large piece of chicken in it’s midst. Alec turned to Magnus with a grin.

“I almost don’t want to disturb it,” he said.

[](https://ibb.co/cJWw5U)

“Smells delicious though huh?” Magnus said tucking into his own meal which featured mutton instead of chicken.

“Yeah, it smells heavenly,” Alec agreed.

Magnus leaned in conspiratorially, “You could eat in an even circle if you don’t want to disturb anything,” he whispered. Alec laughed; eyes on Magnus’ mouth and then plunged his spoon right in the middle of the sauce.

“Ooh, look at him go,” Magnus whistled faux-impressed.

Alec laughed as he scooped up some rice and sauce and put the whole thing in his mouth. He chewed a bit before his expression changed and he reached for the water that had been brought without them asking for it, draining half the glass.

“It’s a little spicy,” Magnus said sheepishly as he ate another spoon of his own food.

“A little…” Alec breathed.

Magnus laughed, pouring a bit more water from the jug into Alec’s glass, “Eat up,” he said.

∞

Alec couldn’t believe that Magnus had persuaded him to go dancing. It must have been the _mnazi._ That stuff was potent. So here they were in a darkened club, dancing to nineties music. Or rather Magnus was dancing; Alec was merely swaying from side to side, trying not to embarrass himself. The club had an honest to goodness disco ball that rotated above them, shooting silver beams of light that momentarily lit up the dance floor. There weren’t many people dancing. A few pairs consisting of much older white men and scantily dressed African women. Then there were some rowdy guys at one end of the bar talking, drinking and laughing loudly, occasionally dancing to a tune or two. They didn’t quite fit with the other patrons. Alec figured they were from further inland, maybe Nairobi or somewhere.

Alec mostly watched Magnus hips as they swayed and swirled and hypnotized him. Nobody seemed to mind that they were two men dancing together. No one paid them any mind and Alec wanted to reach for Magnus, maybe grind them together. He wasn’t much of a dancer though and wasn’t sure _how_ to do it. Magnus seemed content to smile at him, occasionally dancing closer and then further away; he was enjoying himself and Alec was enjoying his enjoyment.

Alec didn’t want to go home.

Like ever.

Why couldn’t he and Magnus move here and just…stay?

Suddenly the hairs on his neck prickled and he looked up. Ali Masud was standing in the doorway, stele in hand, face grim. Alec stuttered to a stop, his mouth open in surprise. Ali disappeared and Alec tried to think frantically of how to excuse himself.

Magnus had stopped dancing. He had a paper in his hand and was reading it. Alec might have wondered where it came from but he was too busy trying to think of something that wouldn’t make him sound like a total asshole for needing to leave.

“Magnus I need to go-” he began.

“Alec I need to go-” Magnus said at the same time.

They looked at each other in surprise.

“I…just remembered, I’m supposed to meet my associate,” Magnus was saying but Alec was already nodding, too relieved at the out to really pay attention.

“Okay yeah, fine. I’ll uh see you later?” he said already hurrying toward the door.

“Yes,” Magnus said heading the opposite direction.

His focus was so intent on Ali that Alec missed the sound of a portal opening as Magnus disappeared into the night.

 

[1] makeshift booth which looks like a hut

[2] Do you have palm wine?

[3] Bring us biryiani please.


	9. Gedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Operation kill monster is a go.

“Gedi ruins. That is where the thing is holed up. We have some informants in the downworld who sell us information from time to time. That’s what they told us. We checked it out. There is definitely something there,” Ali told him as he handed Alec his weapons; a crossbow, arrows, a seraph blade. Whatever they were expecting to go up against, clearly Ali was taking no chances.

“Do we have _any_ idea what we’re facing?”

“Have you heard of the Popobawa?” Ali asked as they walked to the transport. The Mombasa Institute did not have a warlock on payroll and the nearest one they’d tried to summon had not responded. So they were traveling in a more mundane way.

By car.

Alec inclined his head from one side to the other, “We did a paragraph about them while in training. It’s a one-eyed shape-shifter?”

“More than that but yes, you are right. The Popobawa is an angry corporeal demonic spirit which can disguise itself as a human by day but is a one eyed bat-looking creature by night. It delights in torture and murder, especially of non-believers.”

“Why go after the djinni’s then? Or does it work with them?”

“It’s a malevolent force that heightens the malevolence in other creatures that are attracted to its orbit. It works as a conduit, infecting them with its rage which caused them to turn on their masters. It’s animal instinct more than any conscious choice.”

“Have you dealt with it before?” Alec asked curiously as they flew along the mostly empty roads. At this time of night, there was hardly any traffic, just a few PSVs and the occasional private car.

“We haven’t. Not in this generation. But we have records that show our ancestors did indeed fight them off once upon a time. They had help from a warlock however.”

“Your High Warlock still has not got in touch?”

Ali shook his head, “I fear we do not have the best relationship. The warlocks have accused us of interfering with downworlder business more than once. They do not seem to understand that sometimes we are just doing our job.”

Alec nodded in commiseration, “Downworlders are slaves to their impulses. They don’t know any better.”

Ali made a sound of agreement, turning his head to look out the window.

“We might have to rely on our own knowledge and expertise.” He said quietly.

Alec nodded, “Did the texts say how to kill it? This Popobawa?”

“It is of demonic essence. The seraph blades should work as should your arrows.”

Alec nodded, fishing out an arrow to check the runes, just to be certain.

∞

Magnus remembered the Popobawa he’d helped the Mombasa Institute kill in 1855. Horrible thing it was. Magnus had never forgotten. He’d suggested to Yusuf that perhaps it was time to contact the head of Mombasa Institute but the High Warlock was reluctant.

“They are likely to turn this on us. Accuse us of summoning it or harboring it or something. We do not trust them.”

Magnus nodded. He could relate to that. His relations with the New York Institute were…barely civil after all.

Especially with Maryse Lightwood in charge.

The shadowhunters seemed to operate on the assumption that Downworlders were guilty of _something_ always. As he stepped into the portal after Yusuf, he braced himself to do battle with the monster. With magic alone, they would have to trap it and then get it to somehow ingest the poison that would kill it. A seraph blade would do the job more efficiently but without the shadowhunters with them, that wasn’t an option.

They came out at the Gedi ruins, not surprised at the near palpable air of malevolence that coated the place. Magnus felt like he could reach out and touch it. His date with Alexander had been going so well. Just on the basis of his irritation about that, he was ready to exterminate this bitch where it stood. Magnus was old and he liked things the way he liked them. Being called away when he was about to re-taste arguably the most delicious piece of ass he’d ever had… _that_ was annoying.

A shrill piercing scream rent the air and Magnus felt every hair on his body stand up. If that wasn’t a war cry, his name wasn’t Magnus Bane.


	10. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for war.

The ruins were surrounded by every warlock Yusuf could gather in Mombasa _and_ Malindi. That was quite a few warlocks. The Kenyan coast was a large beacon for magic and magical creatures. It attracted mages like a dead body attracted flies. It was a good thing too because it wasn’t only benevolent magic that was drawn to the region.

The piercing scream rent the air again and every hair on Magnus body rose. This was indeed some evil thing. Its energy signature was similar to the one they had killed two hundred years ago; similar but not the same. This one emitted an aura of evil the already humid dense air became thick in a way that made it hard to draw a clean breath. It repelled a body as if literally pushing them away with its malignancy. Magnus and Yusuf exchanged glances filled with trepidation.

“Do we even know where exactly it is in the ruins?” he asked.

“They like cold and dark and dank places. I think it's probably below, in the wet dark caves underground.”

“Light. We need to light the place up.” Magnus said.

Yusuf’s eyes brightened as he nodded at Magnus, “That is a good idea. They despise brightness of any kind.”

“Let’s use fire then. Light the place up _and_ dry it out, draw the thing to the surface.”

“Ambush,” Yusuf said with another nod.

“Ambush,” Magnus agreed.

He lifted his hand, manifesting a long piece of wood. He pointed and the tip of the wooden pole immediately lit on fire. All around the ruins in a circle, other warlocks lit torches up. At Yusuf’s signal, a ululating scream rose and fell, rose and fell like the wind was playing violin with the trees, causing the sound to ebb and flow according to the direction it was blowing. Half the warlocks stepped forward, the other half stepped back. The forward group began to approach the ruins, still ululating in counterpoint to the wailing malevolence beating at them from within its rocky walls.

Magnus tensed, ready for anything.

The advancing warlocks had just disappeared into the Gedi ruins when Magnus heard the familiar growl of a car engine. Someone was coming.

Mundanes?

“Shadowhunters,” Yusuf said with a sigh. He gestured for Magnus to get behind the trees, “Keep watch for the creature. I will go and speak to them.”

Magnus nodded, fading into the darkness, his focus on the task at hand. He was glad the shadowhunters were here but only if they were here to help. Many times, having shadowhunters around just made things worse. Perhaps they would help, perhaps they would hinder. At least in this jurisdiction, they weren’t Magnus’ problem. Still, it was best he stayed hidden. The shadowhunters were likely to take it badly that a foreign High Warlock was in their territory without so much as a courtesy call to notify them.

∞

Alec slid smoothly out of the vehicle after the Ali, arrow already in hand ready to be notched. They had began to sense the Popobawa’s presence long before the ruins came in sight and Alec knew they were in for a fight. He was excited; this was something new and different than what they usually encountered in New York. Having this experience would definitely add a notch to the belt of his resume when he returned home. Just as long as they successfully dealt with it.

Ali made a disgusted sound and Alec looked up to see a warlock standing before them. The High Warlock of Mombasa Alec gathered from the rapid fire speech taking place between the man and Ali. Ali was not at all amused at the warlock’s radio silence and the warlock was of the opinion that they were handling the threat quite well without the shadowhunters’ help and they were quite welcome to leave if they wanted.

Alec took a step forward, and frowned as he got a good look at the High Warlock in the light of the torches being held aloft by various warlocks in a circle. The man looked very familiar.

“Have we met?” he asked when there was a pause in hostilities for the two parties to glare at each other.

The warlock turned to him and then did a double take, “Who are you?” he asked.

“Alec Lightwood. The New York Institute sent me to help out here,” he said sticking his hand out to be shaken. The warlock looked down at his hand and then back up at his face. He looked a little incredulous. Then he burst out laughing.

Alec was a bit taken aback by his rudeness but chalked it up to warlock weirdness.

“Forgive me sir. I did not mean to laugh,” the warlock said holding out his hand to be shaken, “I am Yousef Moustafa, High Warlock of Mombasa.”

Alec frowned, reaching out slowly to take the warlock’s hand, “Like I said, Alec Lightwood. Shadowhunter.”

Yousef nodded, “It is good. It is good you are here. We can use your arrows and your seraph blades. The creature is a Popobawa.”

Alec nodded while Ali sulked next to him, “We know.”

Yousef’s eyebrow rose, “You know? How do you know?”

Alec looked to Ali to take over the conversation. It was not his place to share information with Downworlders.

“We have our people,” Ali said shortly. He bobbed his chin toward the circle of warlocks, “You have a plan?”

Yousef nodded, “We are trying to draw it out with light, since it prefers the dark.”

Ali nodded, “That’s clever. Although the Popobawa is clever too. You don’t think it will fall into your trap so easily?”

Yousef glanced at Alec, “We also brought in some help. But like I said, your arrows and blades will be most helpful.”

Ali nodded, “We shall take position then,” he said looking around at his men. Alec was already looking for a good vantage. He was thinking vacillating between the tops of one of the still standing pillars or the trees. There were some fat baobabs that would hold him easily and they had low hanging vines he could use to climb up. He pointed to a tall one that overhung the ruins.

“I’m going up there,” he told the two leaders.

Ali nodded while Yousef simply watched him go. It was time to kill this thing already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Popobawa has so much drama. Shit. I thought it'd be one and done but no...three chapters later.


	11. The Battle at the Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the Popobawa is vanquished

Magnus summoned his pouch of salt and gopher dust, mixing them together and dissolving in water ‘blessed by the hands of a saint’ that he’d obtained from a Catholic shrine. He drew symbols on five trees in a circle; a combined summoning and imprisoning spell which would hopefully hold the Popobawa so they could poison it or get a shadowhunter to drive their Adamas-tipped blade through its phallus; the core of the Popobawa’s life force.

Once it was done, he blended into the night, waiting for Yousef to return with news on the Shadowhunters. He didn’t have long to wait before the other High Warlock was materializing at his side, looking irritated and yet, amused.

“What happened?” he asked.

“The Shadowhunters will help us,” Yousef said shortly.

Magnus nodded with satisfaction, “Good. Do they know to aim for his dick?”

Yousef snickered, muffling the sound with his hand, “I forgot to tell them that.”

“Do you think they know?” Magnus asked.

Yousef shook his head, “They are young and arrogant. I would not be surprised if they did not look it up.”

Magnus sighed, “We should tell them,” he said.

Yousef turned to him, opening his mouth as if to say something and then closing it again with a shake of his head, “Let us trap it. Then we will show them where to aim.”

Shouts and screams were beginning to emerge from the ruins. Screams of pain and suffering. Wails of fear. The Popobawa had been found it would seem.

“Come, we must go and herd him," Magnus said.

Magnus and the other warlocks closed in on the entrance, flooding the place with light, leaving only one clear path of escape. The Popobawa might not be fooled, he was a clever one. But he was also distracted by light and the havoc he was wrecking as he fought his way through warlocks to reach the surface. A few shadowhunters ran in, wielding their blades but were flung without ceremony into the walls as the Popobawa advanced down the hall toward the exit he was being herded to, hopefully without his knowledge.

A wall of heat hit them and even in the humid warmth of Mombasa, it assaulted them like a blast from a gun. They staggered backward, inadvertently opening the corridor of escape wider and a great black shadow leaped out at them, almost getting away. But Magnus sent a red wave of magic to stop it in its path and from the trees a blue-tipped arrow sunk into its thigh, causing it to fall on one knee, it’s shape shivering between a bat, a one-eyed monster and a man. Magnus sent another blast of red mage fire at it, throwing it up into the air while Yousef pushed at it with his magic so it was propelled toward the trap they’d prepared for it.

Yousef dropped his magic even as Magnus did the same and the Popobawa fell from the trees, right into the dead centre of the circle. Yousef ran forward, shouting for the shadowhunters to aim for his penis. Magnus stayed back, not wanting to be a distraction or indeed to reveal himself at this crucial juncture.

Another arrow, aimed with deadly accuracy pinned the Popobawa to the ground by his glans. A bloodcurdling primal scream rent the night air, causing birds to explode from the trees and a curious ringing in Magnus’ ears, that had him hunching over in agony.

“Damn,” he breathed as the screaming suddenly cut off. He opened his eyes to see what amounted to withered skin with one open eye staring unseeingly up into the night sky.

The Popobawa was dead.

Shadowhunters were swarming to the site, talking excitedly as they brought a body bag to carry away the creature.

Magnus’ job here was done.

He thought with sadness of saying goodbye to Alec Lightwood. He had enjoyed getting to know him. Too bad it just could not work with a mundane. If nothing else, the lies he would have to tell on a daily basis would destroy anything they might build.

No.

He would call him in the morning. Invite him out for a drink and then break the news that he was leaving.

It had been nice while it lasted, but…sayonara.


	12. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec decides to decision.

Alec climbed down from the tree, tucking his bow into its holster as he made his way to the excited group of shadowhunters clustered around the body of the Popobawa. His phone beeped in his pocket and he fished it out, reading the message with a fond shake of his head.

**_Make sure you get me a sample!!_ **

Izzy had been as excited as he was to learn he was hunting something new and different from an ordinary demon. As the foremost forensic pathologist in New York and hell, as far as he knew, the most brilliant forensic pathologist in the shadow world, of course, she wanted to study this thing. Maybe he could convince Ali to let him travel with it, as long as he promised to see it returned for proper disposal. He didn’t see why the other shadow hunter would refuse. It always paid to be on the good side of a prominent family like the Lightwoods. There was no downside.

His thoughts flitted to Magnus, wondering if he would have time to say goodbye before he left. His heart dropped to his feet at the thought of not seeing Magnus ever again. Before he left for New York, he _had_ to see him again. At least once.

The sun was on the horizon by the time he got back to the hotel. Ali had been fine with, even eager, for him to take the body back to Izzy. There was much to be learned about Popobawa and Izzy’s reputation as a scientist was well known. There was no one at the local institute that could match her so it was a no-brainer for Ali to agree with Alec.

Ali had offered to set up a portal right away back to New York and Alec had had to think fast to come up with an excuse for why he wanted to stay one more day.

Ali had smiled knowingly, said something that sounded like “Mombasa Raha” and let him be.

He could request his mother to open a portal for him once he was ready, but he just had to see Magnus before he left.

Had to.

He was going to go home and live a life befitting of a Lightwood, fulfilling his duty as first born and heir; but just for today, he wanted to be himself. He wanted to take something just for Alec. Something to keep, and remember what it felt like – to be free.

Of course, this might be the worst idea and that was why Alec was pacing, rather than resting or texting Magnus. What if it made things worse to know?

 _‘You already know Alec. One more time won’t make a difference.’_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Izzy’s piped up in his head. Yes, he already knew what it felt like to be with a man. To have him come in Alec’s mouth. The noises he made. The hard muscle beneath his hands as he caressed Magnus’ thighs; the way he jerked and convulsed as he orgasmed. The flatness of his chest punctuated by his nipples. His long hard cock, the tight heat of his ass; he’d felt it all. He knew it all. And nothing was ever going to compare.

So what harm would it do to have it again? Just one more time, for the road.

He snatched up his phone and was about to call when he saw that it was 7 am. Too early. Considering Magnus had been out with him last night.

“Maybe a text?” he murmured to himself even as he clicked the WhatsApp icon.

**_Hey Magnus, sorry I had to leave so suddenly yesterday._ **

**_I had an emergency. Can I make it up to you tonight?_ **

He stared at his phone for a while, hopeful for a quick answer. The blue tick said Magnus had received it. He checked the last time Magnus had been online…two hours ago.

Throwing his phone back down on the bed he shook his head at himself. He was acting like some mundane teenager with a crush. Admittedly he had a crush but that didn’t give him permission to act like some downworlder with no control over his emotions. He resolutely began to divest himself of clothing, deciding to take a shower. He was just wrapping himself in a towel when his phone beeped. He dived for it a little too fast and stubbed his toe on the edge of the bed but had no time to wince because he was too busy reading Magnus reply.

**_Great minds think alike._ **

He heaved a sigh of relief, grinning happily as he clicked reply.

**_Pick you up at six?_ **

It was torture to wait eleven hours but he didn’t know how to ask for an earlier time without looking extremely thirsty.

Which he was.

He just didn’t want to _look_ it.

Besides, he probably needed to sleep a little maybe.

**_Make it seven. I want to look pretty for you._ **

Alec groaned aloud. That Magnus really _was_ going to be the death of him. He stared out the window, watching the ocean ebb and flow, the shoreline so far out there because the tide was out.  A couple of fishermen were readying their boats and a few energetic souls were jogging down the beach. The twelve hours between now and when he’d see Magnus again yawned before him like an uncrossable dessert. He wanted to see Magnus _now!_ His time was limited already, he didn’t want to waste another second.

He shrugged to himself, thinking that he was never going to see this man again after today so what did he have to lose?

**_How about I buy you breakfast instead?_ **

He waited with bated breath for Magnus’ reply, heart already pounding.

When his phone beeped he brought it right up to his face, staring at the laughing emoji with its tongue out in puzzlement. Did it mean yes?

**_Alright Alexander, why don’t you pick something up and bring it to my apartment?_ **

Alec’s heart leaped in his chest and he shot up, running to the shower. The hotel had a full buffet breakfast every morning. He would collect some of everything ask for them to pack it up for him then he’d deliver it to Magnus. He almost skipped in excitement as he wore a brown pair of jeans and a sleeveless black shirt, hurrying down to the dining hall, a determined light in his eye.

The staff was as accommodating as always and pretty soon, he was walking along the beach with a bag carefully held in his hands so as not to spill anything. His knees felt weak and his vision was blurry as he sweated lightly with both heat and anticipation. He was going to see Magnus! His steps quickened as he power-walked to Magnus’ apartments unable to suppress his eagerness to see the other man. He knocked tentatively on the door, trying to regulate his breathing. It was such a waste of time. As soon as Magnus opened the door, clad in just a bathrobe, chest on display, he forgot how to do it altogether.

“Alexander,” Magnus said with a smile, his voice low, soothing and hypnotic, “That was quick.”

Alec nodded jerkily, not knowing how to form words. Magnus moved back and gestured for him to enter and then Alec was sitting down on the chaise, unable to remember how he got there, or when Magnus had unpacked the bag or made coffee or arranged a plate of watermelon, papaya, and oranges for him. There was another plate by his coffee piled with toast, scrambled egg, and sausages. Magnus reached an elegant beringed hand out and picked up a piece of papaya, feeding it to Alec. Alec opened his mouth obediently, let Magnus place the fruit in his mouth and then closed it and chewed, his eyes never leaving Magnus’.

“Delicious, isn’t it?”

Alec nodded, not sure what he was agreeing to, but if Magnus said so, it must be true.

Magnus picked up the watermelon slice and held it out. Alec took it with his teeth, biting and swallowing until there was nothing to bite except Magnus’ fingers. He sucked on those as Magnus held them in his mouth, his eyes gleaming, seemingly catlike, one that had just licked a bowlful of cream. Alec held his gaze and Magnus’ fingers were replaced by his tongue, which explored Alec’s mouth gently, but thoroughly, leaving no crevice unplundered.

Alec moaned, helpless and weak in the face of Magnus’…everything.

A scrape at his neck with a sharp nail and he pulled back, worried that his neck rune might be exposed. But Magnus was too busy kissing his way down Alec’s torso, with one flick of his wrist he’d divested Alec of his shirt and now his shining, sweaty, heaving torso was exposed to Magnus’ expertise. His tongue, his hands, his breath, his very essence, driving Alec literally to madness.

“Magnus please…I…can’t.” Alec was about to blow his load in his pants like the inexperienced novice that he was. He pressed down desperately on his bulge and heard Magnus huff with laughter, his warm breath brushing against Alec’s naked skin, almost catapulting him over the edge. Alec made a sound halfway between pleading and groaning and Magnus relented, pulling back and actually standing up. Alec wanted to wail in protest at Magnus moving away from him, but Magnus was saying something and Alec tried to hear what it was.

“…fast. Would you like some orange juice?”

“Huh?” Alec watched incredulously as Magnus poured juice into two glasses clinking with ice and brought them back to the chaise, handing one to Alec. He breathed in and out, trying to get himself back under control before taking the glass.

He took a large sip, largely to cool himself down and avoided looking at Magnus for a bit. He could hear the clink of Magnus’ cutlery on the plate and knew he was eating. Alec couldn’t eat. His head was swirling with confusion.

“So I have some, well, bad news I guess,” Magnus said.

“Oh?” Alec asked, trying to pay attention while his dick jumped at the sound of Magnus’ voice.

“Yes. I’m afraid today is my last day in Mombasa. I’ve concluded my business and will be leaving tomorrow.”

Alec stared at him, “Oh…” he said at last, “Me too.”

Magnus’ eyebrow rose, “Is that so? I guess this is goodbye for both of us.”

“Where…um, where will you be going?” Alec asked even as he knew it was futile to know. There was no way this could continue once he was back at the Institute.

Magnus shrugged, “I’m not sure yet. I might stop in London to see a friend.”

“Then what? Where’s home for you?” Alec could not help but ask.

“Brooklyn,” he said with a smile.

“Oh…” Alec said and he tightened his grip on the glass. Magnus was so close. He might as well be living on the moon.

“Anyway, I wanted us to have a proper goodbye,” Magnus said.

Alec looked over at him, opening his mouth to say ‘maybe they could meet again some-’ but Magnus put his beringed finger against his lips, stopping the thought before the words could be said. “Let’s not make promises we won’t keep okay? This breakfast is delicious and deserves our attention. And then there’s one more place I want to show you.”

“Okay,” Alec said softly. If he had only one more day with Magnus, he was going to enjoy it to the fullest.


	13. Touristy Tings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last day at the coast.

“How do you feel about crocodiles?” Magnus asked as Alec sipped at his coffee and he almost choked. He put down his cup carefully before turning to Magnus.

“Why do you ask?” he said.

“Because I want to take you to Mamba Village but it won’t be fun if you’re terrified.”

Alec almost laughed at the thought of being afraid of crocodiles when vile things like Popobawa existed. He bit his cheek to keep the laugh in but he was still smiling.

“I’m fine with crocodiles.”

“And have you been to Mamba Village yet?”

Alec shook his head.

“Good,” Magnus said picking up a mango from the plate and chewing thoughtfully.

“And how do you feel about shopping?” he asked.

Alec let his smile spread unhampered on his face. He hated shopping. He considered it a waste of time.

“Uh, I have no feelings about shopping,” he said just as his phone beeped. He fished it out of his pocket and looked at the ID.

Izzy.

He looked up at Magnus, brandishing his phone, “My sister. I should take this,” he said.

Magnus fluttered his fingers at him and Alec took that as permission. He stood up, moving to the balcony to answer the call.

“Hey, Izzy, what’s up?”

“Mom wants to know what the delay is with your return. She expected you in her office this morning with a report.”

“Uh, I…uh, there’s some things I need to wrap up here before I can come home,” he said.

“Oh,” Izzy sounded amused, the minx, “I wanna hear all about these… _things_ when you get back,” she said.

Alec cleared his throat, “It’s not like that,” he said glad that the heat would disguise the fact that he was blushing from Magnus.

“Sure thing bro. I’ll stall her until…tonight? Or tomorrow?”

Alec sighed, “Tell her I’ll be able to give her a report in person tomorrow morning.”

“Okay. Do you need a portal?”

“Uh, yeah actually I will.”

“What time?”

Alec hesitated, eyes drifting to Magnus who was sprawled languidly on the couch, enjoying tropical fruit and texting someone, “Uh, I’ll text you,” Alec said.

Izzy laughed, “ _All_ of the details brother,” she said before hanging up.

Alec took a deep breath before stepping back into Magnus’ living room. The other guy looked up at him and smiled, “All set?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Alec replied stuffing his phone in his pocket. Magnus got to his feet.

“Well, now that I know you have a sister, I’ll make sure to show you some things you can buy for her. Does she like jewelry?”

Alec smiled, “I would say so.”

“Alright then, are you ready to go?”

“Sure. Where to first? The crocodile place?”

“Oh no, you want to get there during feeding time. Right now, we should go shopping while it’s not too hot.”

Alec pulled his shirt away from his already sweaty chest, “Uh…?” he said eyebrows raised.

Magnus smiled, “Welcome to the tropics Alec Lightwood,” he said and took his hand, leading him to the door, “Have you ever ridden a tuk-tuk?” he asked as he closed his door and failed to lock it much to Alec’s dismay.

“Uh no. I’ve mostly been using taxis?”

“Well then, first things first, we find us a tuk-tuk,” Magnus said with a wide smile. Alec nodded in agreement, totally dazzled by the smile and not really hearing anything Magnus said. He followed the other man into the three-wheeled contraption without blinking, listening silently as Magnus spoke with the driver in a mix of Kiswahili and English. They seemed to be gossiping about the battle at Gedi ruins if Alec wasn’t mistaken. The driver was telling Magnus all about a strange screaming he’d heard the night before which had brought him out of sleep. He seemed to think it was caused by ‘majini’ and he was warning Magnus about going near the ruins today. Magnus seemed quite receptive to his stories, not contradicting or looking skeptical about his warnings.

“You believe in these things?” Alec asked him quietly.

Magnus shrugged, “I respect other people’s beliefs,” he replied before directly the tuk-tuk to a stop.

“This is the Bombolulu Workshops and Cultural Centre. It’s a great place to buy jewelry and curios and stuff. Also, it’s run by the Association for the Physically Disabled in Kenya so it’s for a good cause. I never feel guilty for spending money here,” he grinned at Alec as he said it, reaching out to open the door of the tuk-tuk. He spent another five minutes paying the driver and thanking him for the ride while the driver offered to wait for them and take them to their next destination.

“What do you think Alec?” Magnus asked.

Alec shrugged, “It might be nice to have waiting transportation,” he said.

“Okay then.” Magnus said before turning to the driver, “ _Tungoje hapa_ ,” he said. The driver nodded, agreeing to wait for them there.

Magnus led him unerringly around to a hut-shaped building with a grass thatched roof. There they were greeted by smiling vendors eager to show off their wares. Alec bought some bracelets for himself and Jace and earrings and a necklace for Izzy. He thought about getting something for his mother but shook his head. He could just see her face if he tried to present her with some traditional African jewelry. He thought about getting something for Magnus since he’d noticed that the other guy wore jewelry.

Maybe a ring?

Or a chain?

Magnus pulled him to a corner where they were selling ‘Maasai sandals’ that seemed to be made from recycled car tires. There were also some “Maasai _shukas_ ’ which struck Alec as remarkably similar to the shawls worn by highlander Scotsmen. He turned to share this thought with Magnus and found that he’d taken his shirt off so that one of the vendors could show him the proper way to drape the _shuka_ over his shoulders.

His well-defined chest was gleaming with sweat and resembled nothing as much as a golden statue. Alec had to remind himself to blink. He stood there staring, unable to command his body to do anything else until Magnus laughed at something one of the vendors said. That brought him out of his fugue state and he turned away, taking a few steadying breaths and casually walking away before he made a fool of himself in public. His eyes fell on a wood carving of a big cat with eyes that seemed to gleam as the light fell on it from an angle. He picked it up, admiring the smooth workmanship.

“You like it?”

He looked up at the voice to say a round-faced smooth-cheeked smiling woman watching him.

He nodded, “Yeah, it…reminds me of someone,” he said. Her eyes slid slowly to Magnus and then back to Alec.

“It is only a thousand shillings if you want to buy for your friend,” she said.

Alec reached into his pocket, retrieving his wallet and paying up. She took the carving, wrapping it up lovingly and handed it to him in a small bag.

“Thank you,” he said with a bow.

“You’re welcome and _Asante_ ,” she replied tucking the money in her bra.

Alec drifted back to Magnus who had three bags full of stuff. He beamed when he caught sight of Alec.

“It’s a good thing we asked the tuk-tuk driver to wait,” he said.

Alec took up a few bags with a smile and carried them out while Magnus said his prolonged goodbyes to the vendors. They stowed the bags in the tuk tuk and then Magnus hesitated, “Do you want to go and see the traditional dancers?” he asked.

Alec glanced at his watch, “Uh, I don’t think we’re gonna have time for that unless we’re not going anywhere else after here?”

“Oh no. We haven’t been to Old Town yet! Plus have you ever been to Fort Jesus? We should probably squeeze that in.”

Alec tried to find words. They absolutely could not go to Fort Jesus.

“Ah no, I’ve seen it already.”

“Okay then. Let’s drop these bags off and then go to Old Town, then I thought we might have lunch on the Tamarind Dhow. What do you think?”

“It’s your show,” Alec said. He’d have been happy to stand there all day and just stare at Magnus.

Old Town had some lovely gold and silver jewelry and Alec bought a brooch that he thought his mother might like. A ring made of Tanzanite for Izzy and antique silver earrings for Magnus. He decided he would give Magnus his presents at the end of the day as a way to say, ‘please don’t forget me.’

The tuk-tuk driver obligingly dropped them off at the jetty outside the Tamarind restaurant after stopping off at the Magnus’ apartment to store all the shopping. There were two boats tethered to the jetty and Magnus gestured to them.

“That’s Nawalilkher and Babulkher. They are actually authentic Jahazis – which are traditional Arab sailing boats – used to transport cargo along the Kenyan coast from the Arab states.” Magnus said, neglecting to mention that the first time he’d come to Mombasa was in just such a boat, “so now they’re floating restaurants for Tamarind restaurant.”

“That’s…fascinating,” Alec said.

“I made a reservation so they should be expecting us. I can’t wait for you to taste the food. It’s to die for.”

Alec nodded, following along after Magnus. They were greeted by a _maitr’d_ at the jetty who led them up the ramp and seated them. The boat was at capacity when it set sail, mostly peopled by tourists and expatriates.

Before the first course was served Magnus knew the names of everyone sitting close by. Alec was content to eat and listen to Magnus charming the other guests with his tidbits of knowledge and genuine interest in the conversation. He basked in the reflected glory of being with such a magnetic man even as his heart shriveled with grief at the thought of never seeing him again. Also, Magnus was right about the food; it was delicious.

He watched the horizon where the waves met the sky, reveling in the cool breeze until Magnus warm hand covered his on the table. He turned to drown in Magnus chocolate eyes.

“Are you alright?” Magnus asked.

Alec smiled, “I’m great.” He said, “Thank you for this.”

“You’re welcome,” Magnus said and then leaned in like he might kiss Alec. He hesitated at the last minute, seeming to remember that they weren’t alone. Alec didn’t think. He reached in and bridged the gap, giving Magnus a short hard kiss. There were no shadowhunters on this boat. He was safe.

The post lunch tryptophan coma was real.

“Hey, let’s go to your place and have a nap,” Alec suggested, seeing that Magnus was just as lethargic as he was.

Magnus smiled, “Okay.”

∞

Magnus watched Alec sleep beside him on his bed, his impossibly long lashes covering those hazel eyes and enabling Magnus to think clearly for the first time today. He looked younger when he was asleep, or rather; he probably looked closer to his real age. When he was awake, he was always tense and alert, seemingly ready to be attacked at a moment’s notice. Magnus suspected he wasn’t out, and a lot more inexperienced than he pretended to be. His heart softened with affection as he traced the lines of Alec’s face, finger not quite touching the other man’s skin. It would have been so nice to have this man in his bed, permanently. But he liked him too much to do that to him. Perhaps this experience would help him to come out of the closet and find someone that he could love out there in the corporate world and they could adopt babies together and live happily ever after.

The thought was strangely painful.

Alec’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Magnus, frowning for half a second before his face lit up like he had never been more delighted to see anyone as he was to see Magnus at this moment. Magnus smiled sadly back.

“Back in the land of the living I see,” he said.

Alec sat up, resting his head in his palm as he looked Magnus up and down, eyes hot and intent, “Were you watching me sleep?” he asked.

Magnus shrugged, not bothering to deny it. Alec smiled slightly and then the smile was replaced by something more predatory as he leaned in and captured Magnus’ lips with his.

Magnus let Alec maul him to his heart’s content. He went pliant and malleable in Alec’s arms as the other man manhandled him into place, tearing off his shorts and leaving him dressed in nothing but silk boxers. His hands quested hungrily, burrowing inside Magnus’ boxers to take hold of his dick and squeeze like someone might try to steal it away from him.

Then suddenly he stopped, lifting his head from where he’d been intent on sucking the skin off Magnus’ neck, “I know you wanted to see the crocodiles feed but do you mind if we just stay here?”

For a moment Magnus had no idea what he was talking about.

“Oh, you mean Mamba village?” he exclaimed with a laugh and then peered at his watch, “I expect we can’t get there by feeding time anyway,” he said with a shrug.

“Okay,” Alec said and leaped at him, tackling him down onto the bed and covering Magnus’ body with his. The overhead fan was not enough to dispel the heat from Alec’s body bathing Magnus in fire, but Magnus had no complaints.


	14. Harsh Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec leave Mombasa

Alec walked into the institute the next morning, dragging his feet. A whirlwind of black hair and dominatrix boots crashed into him and he put his arms around her to steady them both.

“Alec!” Izzy said with a happy smile.

Alec couldn’t help smiling back, “Izzy!” he replied mimicking her tone.

“It’s good to see you. You were gone a lot longer than you said. It’s been hell here without you.”

“Aww, I’d be touched if I didn’t know you meant ‘without me here running interference between you and mom’” Alec said lifting an eyebrow at her.

“Okay yeah, I’ve had to repeat to myself every day that I can’t just kill her.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s unkillable by any weapons forged by man,” Alec murmured and Izzy laughed.

“Alec! Don’t you think you’ve wasted enough time? My office, now.” Maryse’s voice sharply cut their reunion short as Alec automatically stiffened his posture, eyes straight ahead, hands clasped behind his back. Izzy slipped away like a ghost, taking Alec’s substantially expanded luggage with her. Alec followed his mother to her office with a sigh, girding himself for the lecture he would inevitably get.

His mind drifted backward, to earlier this morning, when he’d had to creep out of Magnus’ bed, hesitate by his kitchen table, wondering if he should leave a note. But what could he possibly say? Thank you so much for a wonderful time, I will never forget it or you? Maybe, you were my first and you spoiled me for anyone else so good thing I’m expected to marry a woman? There was nothing he could say that would encompass what meeting Magnus had meant to him. So it was better to just say nothing.

Wasn’t it?

He didn’t know but he knew that pining wasn’t on the cards.

“Why did you delay your arrival?” his mother asked and Alec pulled his mind from the past.

“I had a few things to clear up.”

“Really? Because I called the Mombasa Institute, you weren’t there.”

“I had a few other loose ends to tie up,” Alec said praying that he would not blush.

Maryse let her breathe out through her nose in annoyance.

“What can you report on the monster you hunted?” she asked, changing tack as mercurially as always.

Alec opened his mouth and let his training take over, outlining to his mother everything that had happened that had to do with the Popobawa.

“I brought back samples for Izzy to analyze,” he finished.

Maryse nodded curtly, “Good. You may take the rest of the day, get up to speed with everything you missed while you were away.”

Alec nodded and left, feeling his heart slow down as the anxiety of being in his mother’s presence bled out of him.

∞

Magnus woke up to an empty bed and spent several moments swallowing back his disappointment. It would have been nice to have a proper goodbye, maybe a final epic fuck before Alexander left. Not that last night was anything to sneeze at. What Alexander lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm. Magnus couldn’t remember ever having his dick sucked with such single-minded dedication and focus. Alexander was like a laser, cutting out all distractions to achieve his goal. And when his goal had been to suck Magnus brains out of his dick…well…

“Whew,” Magnus said aloud, shaking his head as he thought about it. It had been no hardship to wrap his legs around Alexander’s waist, urging him to take Magnus.

But no.

Alexander had wanted to be on the receiving end this time. The beautiful way he’d begged…Magnus had never felt that level of power, control or helplessness confusingly juxtaposed upon each other within him. It had been no hardship getting hard again, the need had been strong and the want had been irrepressible.  

The irony that it took a mundane to make him feel this way was not lost on him. He finally found the man of his dreams and he couldn’t have him.

Go figure.

He packed up his bags, thinking that he might pass through London and visit with Ragnor. There was nothing urgent waiting for him in New York, just an empty apartment and a bunch of problematic warlocks.

He waved his hands, packing up his bags and sending them through the portal to his apartment before stepping into it himself and directing the portal to London.

It was raining when he arrived and he fished his phone out to call Ragnor and find out where he was. He was surprised to see five new messages waiting for him.

He sighed, clicking on the first one.

**_Hey Magnus, this is Rufus. I just wanted to know when I can set up my practice again. It’s been nine months. I learned my lesson._ **

Magnus rolled his eyes.

**_Hello Magnus. You need to get back here. Severin got in a fight with one of the warlocks from Manhattan and now they’re threatening to take it up with the Higher Council. Maybe even going to the Clave! You know how Maryse feels about us. We don’t want her involved. Tell Yousef to handle his own monsters and come home._ **

Magnus sighed. Elias was always a bit of a drama queen; that coming from _him_ was saying something. He’d repeatedly told Elias about the crow’s feet he was courting but that just made the younger warlock frown more. Magnus didn’t even know when or how he’d designated himself Magnus’ assistant but here they were. The next message was from Elias too.

**_The High Council has called a meeting for next Thursday to resolve this. They expect your presence._ **

Magnus growled, switching to call and dialed Ragnor’s number from memory. The phone rang eight times before he picked up by which time Magnus was over everything.

“Magnus my friend, how are you?”

“I’m great. I’m in London probably just for the day. Fancy some afternoon tea at Claridge’s?”

“Of course dear boy. I never turn down a cup of tea.”

“Will we be able to get a table?” Magnus asked.

“Magnus! You cut me to the quick. Have you no faith in my ability to keep a standing reservation?”

Magnus found that he was smiling, “Excellent. I just need to find some suitable clothing and I'll meet you there at four.”

“Do you think you’ll have enough time?” Ragnor asked.

Magnus looked at his watch, it was 11 am.

“I have five hours,” he said.

“Exactly. I have been shopping with you dear boy. And I have waited for hours while you got dressed. So again I ask, are you sure you have enough time?”

“Bite me Ragnor,” Magnus said smiling happily before hanging up. He took a deep breath looking around for a taxi. Ragnor wasn’t wrong, he needed every minute of those five hours.

“Savile Row,” he told the driver of the London taxi that stopped for him and settled back for the ride. He was looking forward to some new bespoke suits; he’d found the most creative tailor the last time he’d been to London. This was exactly what he needed to forget about mundanes named Alexander.


	15. Red Red Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus listens to UB40

_‘Red red wine goes to my head…makes me forget that I…still need you so…’_

Magnus bobbed his head to the song, taking another gulp of his whiskey. He got maudlin sometimes, sue him.

_‘Red red wine, stay close to me… don’t let me be alone…’_

He let out a little sob even as he sang along. He felt simultaneously like this was the worst day of his life and he was being a whiny overdramatic little bitch. So his perfect fantasy man had turned out to be a grouchy shadowhunter who was also _Maryse Lightwood’s_ firstborn. There were people right now in the world dying from preventable disease, war, and violence. Children were separated from their parents and put in cages; genocide was still a thing that happened, human trafficking...

What was a little bit of heartbreak in comparison?

The music changed.

Motorhead lamented about how God was never on your side.

Magnus didn’t know much about God, but he suspected that She loved irony. Why else would She have Magnus meet his dream man and then make him a shadowhunter?

Worse.

Make him a _Lightwood_.

His day had begun so well. He’d woken up feeling rested and even managed to take a leisurely shower before Elias had knocked on his door, his little book of appointments held delicately under his arm. He followed Magnus around the kitchen as he made himself some coffee and vacillated between pancakes and toast for breakfast. In the end, he decided on the former because they were faster to make and Elias was chivvying him to get a move on. The meeting with the High Council was at nine and seeing as they were portaling there, Magnus didn’t see what the problem was. Still, Elias was naturally anxious and Magnus wasn’t in the habit of trying to make that anxiety worse. He chose one of his new suits from Savile Row. An elegant understated black pin-striped affair; and paired it with a light gold shirt which matched his pocket square. He looked stunning if he did say so himself. He thought about adding a streak of gold in his hair but decided against it. There _was_ such a thing as too much of a good thing, even for him. He opted for glitter instead.

With his nails painted black, his rings on his fingers and two chains around his neck, and his black shone-to-perfection wing tips, he felt ready to face any tribunal. Little did he know, he wasn’t ready to face this one.

∞

Alec’s mother had summoned him at the crack of dawn as he was coming back from patrol. He sighed, sadly dismissing the notion of a long hot shower and a long sleep in favor of standing at alert in his mother’s office, and listened to his orders.

“I am called away suddenly to Idris this morning and the Warlock High Council has called a meeting to which they request a clave representative be present. Something to do with a dispute with the High Warlock of Brooklyn,” Maryse’s lips pursed in disgust, “I need you to take my place. They are expecting you at nine.”

Alec nodded curtly, his mind unable to quite quash the thought of how convenient it was that Maryse had to go to Idris _this_ morning. Alec well knew how she felt about warlocks. But if he was going to be the next head of Institute, he might as well learn how to navigate the landmine that was the High Council. It was a good experience to have, never mind how exhausted he was.

“Dismissed,” his mother said without waiting for an answer.

Alec nodded his head and left, thanking the angel that he at least had time to take a shower and maybe eat some breakfast before this infernal meeting. He didn’t have a single clue what it could be about, who the players were…and there was no time to find out. He’d just have to play it by ear.

∞

“My fellow warlocks, don’t you think you’re blowing this whole thing out of proportion?” Magnus said as soon as he sauntered into the room, making eye contact with all the members of the council except the High Warlock of Manhattan. He and Seraphina Morningwind had been hot and heavy in the seventies and eighties. Nothing serious. But she’d still been upset when he decided to move on. She’d been petty and bitchy ever since.

“Magnus, you should take this seriously. Severin almost killed one of my warlocks. And over what? A client?”

Magnus sighed, “It is my understanding that your warlock made a habit of stealing Severin’s customers.”

“What? Well I never!” Seraphina exclaimed clutching non-existent pearls. Again, Magnus wondered at people calling _him_ dramatic when people like Seraphina existed. He could not stop his eyes from rolling. Not so and not do serious damage to his nerves.

The head of the High Council, Aiden Rosemark, sighed, looking tired, “We felt that the best thing to do was to let a neutral party decide on appropriate action to take and so we have clave representative Alec Lightwood with us,” he said as he pointed toward a darkened corner.

A step.

Another.

And Magnus’ world came crashing down around him.

The only thing that kept him on his feet was the stunned expression on Alexander’s face.

They stared at each other in silence for what seemed like forever.

“No…” Magnus whispered at last.

That seemed to snap Alexander out of his fugue state. He stiffened abruptly, hands going behind his back and turned to face Aiden.

“Perhaps you could explain the problem in detail?” he said.

Aiden nodded and launched into the complaint while Magnus looked around for a seat. If he didn’t sit down, he would fall down.

“Magnus are you alright?” Elias whispered against his ear.

Magnus nodded mechanically. He could not take his eyes off Alexander. He blinked a few times, swallowed, wondered if he was hallucinating…but the tall, dark-haired, hazel-eyed individual dressed in all black, with a thigh holster strapped on and a bow and arrows in a quiver slung over his shoulder like he was going into battle did not disappear or change appearance.

∞

Alec kept his eyes firmly on the head of the High Council but he didn’t hear a word the warlock said. His mind was too busy spinning. When Magnus had stepped into the room in a whirlwind of style and grace and proceeded to address the room as ‘my fellow warlocks’ Alec had thought he might be having a lack-of-sleep-induced hallucination. He didn’t know why he would imagine Magnus Bane - _his_ Magnus Bane - among a bunch of warlocks, but he could admit that he had been missing the other man like a ghost limb.

And here he was.

Magnus Bane was a warlock.

Alec tried to repeat that a few times in his mind. Make it make sense. It refused.

The only consolation he could think of in this whole cluster fuck was that Magnus looked as shocked to see him as he felt on beholding the warlock.

So maybe the whole encounter in Mombasa had been innocent.

God, why was this happening?

Aiden finished speaking and now he was expected to render a verdict. He looked from the accused, Severin his name was, to the High Warlock of Manhattan who was glaring steadily at Magnus. Her ire seemed more personal than a dispute between two warlocks under their care would evoke. He narrowed his own eyes at her, not liking to think that there might be something more between her and Magnus.

He cleared his throat and finally, she turned away from Magnus to look at him, “I believe there is a designated fine for this kind of commercial dispute. Since the warlock from Brooklyn did not seek remedy from his High Warlock but instead chose to escalate matters I think that he should pay double the fine plus any loss of business his rival will experience while recovering.”

Magnus shot to his feet, “Don’t you think that’s a little excessive…Alexander?” he hissed, his eyes turning a magnetic cat-eyed gold to match his pocket square and his shirt.

Alec couldn’t _think!_

“You will address me as Mr. Lightwood,” he bit out seeking to cover his confusion.

“Fine, _Mr. Lightwood_ , don’t you think that sentence is excessive?”

Alec shook his head curtly, “You asked for my input, you have it. Now if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I have other matters to attend to.”

Alec left as fast as he could, opting to hail a taxi. His head was spinning too much to try walking back to the institute. He wasn’t even sure he knew which direction was which at the moment.

_Magnus Bane was a warlock!_

∞

Magnus paid the fine on Severin’s behalf and left as soon as he could. Elias followed anxiously behind, asking if he could help with anything.

“I’m just tired, Elias. Thank you. I just need to go home and rest. Would you cancel my remaining appointments for the week?”

“Sure thing,” Elias said patting him gently on the arm before portaling away. As soon as Magnus reached home, he walked straight to his bar.

Alec Lightwood.

He should have known.

How had he not guessed?

Magnus downed the first glass, and then a second, and then poured himself a third while he filled the apartment with music.

He was going to need some time to come to terms.

_Alec Lightwood was a shadowhunter!_


	16. Shady, Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to process.

He paced frantically up and own, his mind all over the place, not knowing which way was up anymore. He breathed hard, running his big hands through his hair, wanting to tear it out if it would stop the thoughts pounding in his head.

He needed a drink.

He wished he was the kind of person who could just go out to a bar and drown his sorrows. But he wasn’t.

He was calm.

He was controlled.

He was in charge of his emotions not the other way around.

That wasn’t gonna change. _Nothing_ was going to change.

A knock on his door had him diving for his bed, trying to look casual.

“Yeah?” he croaked.

Izzy poked her head in the door, looking quizzically at him, “Are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah, nobody, ah I mean I’m great. Why?”

Izzy just stared.

Alec straightened up from his faux casual pose on the bed, “I’m fine,” he said more coherently.

Izzy stepped in the room, “Are you? Because I tried to talk to you when you came in and you just breezed past me like you didn’t even notice me.”

“Sorry,” Alec had the grace to look sheepish, “I didn’t see you.”

“You didn’t? Because you walked right past me.”

“Ah well…my mind was…I was preoccupied okay?”

Izzy came to sit by him, taking his hand in hers, “With what? Is it mom? Did she ask you to get engaged or something?”

Alec straightened up, looking at Izzy with wide eyes. He had completely forgotten that impeding nuptials were in his mother’s upcoming plans for him.

“Why would you think that?” he asked.

“Because you looked like someone had taken away your bow and arrows and destroyed them,” Izzy replied promptly squeezing his hand.

“Nobody’s stolen my bow and…I mean, I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Mom isn’t asking me for anything I’m not willing to give.”

“Mmm” Izzy said looking away.

“She’s not,” Alec insisted relieved to have something else to focus on, “Besides she hasn’t mentioned that since I’ve been back.”

“Why do you think she went back to Idris this morning?”

“To avoid the warlock’s meeting?”

At the word warlock, Alec blanched, Magnus once again front and centre in his mind.

Izzy shook her head, “I hear there’s some high profile, exclusive thing going on. I don’t know, a party or meeting or something. I think she’s going to come back with an offer.”

Alec snorted, “I think I can choose my own bride.”

“Can you?”

Alec looked away. Izzy knew him a little too well. He’d never _said_ anything directly but since his lovesick crush on Jace had been difficult to hide from her, she’d drawn her own conclusions.

“Yes,” he said biting down on the word like emphasis would make it true. Golden eyes, long elegant be-ringed fingers painted black, crazy fashion…surely there was a _female shadowhunter_ who could trump that.

Easily.

∞

“You can’t just sit around moping about whatever it is you won’t tell me about. Is it the case? Did you not want to pay the fine? Because I can get Severin to refund you.”

Magnus laughed, standing up to ran a finger down Elias’ jaw.

“Even your horns are frowning today Elias my man and no, I have no problem paying the fine. I’m alright.”

“Are you? Because you haven’t left your apartment in three days.”

“How do you know?” Magnus stopped by the drinks cart and poured himself a gin and tonic.

“I know because I tweaked the wards to let me know if you stepped outside them.”

Magnus whirled around, “ _You what_?”

“I just wanted to have an alert so I could be on hand to assist you if you needed anything. You did not look well the other day and like it or not Magnus there are people in this town who don’t like you.”

Magnus scoffed, “My dear Elias, I’m touched…but I can take care of myself.”

Elias stepped into Magnus personal space, looking earnestly up at him, “Let me help you. How about I organize a masquerade ball for you at Pandemonium? Hmm? The theme could be Bohemian Rhapsody. Huh? That would be fun right?”

Magnus considered Elias in amusement, “Have I worried you so much?”

Elias sighed, still watching Magnus intently.

Magnus put down his drink, pinching Elias’ cheek lightly, “Alright then Elias, let’s have a party.”


	17. Dancing Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pandemonium is jumping jumping.

Pandemonium was packed with all sorts. Vampires, werewolves, seelies, warlocks, and even the occasional human. Some were vampire groupies addicted to their blood. Others were psychics, who had accepted that the things they saw were real. All were dressed like various band members of Queen. Magnus saw at least ten Freddie Mercuries on the dance floor, fake mustaches, bare chests, tight leather trousers and all. He himself had forgone the fake mustache but he did have on skin-tight leather, numerous god chains, a full face of makeup, black leather boots and not much else. The haunting beat of the music rumbled from the floor up his spine, making him shiver in reaction. He caught sight of a diminutive woman on the dance floor, flinging her inky black mane from side to side, completely lost in the music. He smiled, wanting to go down and join her. There was nothing like a good dance partner to lift his mood.

He took a step to the side, ready to ditch his entourage to go down and join the hoi polloi when Elias appeared, drink in hand.

“It’s called the We Will Rock You cocktail. A new invention by the new bartender, Maia. In your honor.”

Elias presented it to him like he was presenting a gift from an acolyte to a god. Magnus’ smile widened.

“You’re so extra, Elias,” he said taking the drink, saluting his PA and then tasting it. His eyebrows almost reached his hair as he blanched.

“Well, that would put hair on my chest if I wasn’t so naturally smooth,” Magnus said.

Elias laughed, “Yeah, it’s a strong one. Do you like it?”

Magnus took another sip.

“It’s good,” he said with a nod and turned back to the crowd. The woman with the long hair had been joined by a similarly long-haired though blonde, pillock, much taller than her, and very lanky.

“Mmm,” Magnus said imagining taking them _both_ home with him.

“Here, hold my drink,” he said to Elias and proceeded to descend to the dance floor.

∞

Alec came up behind Izzy who was staring at the sensor maps where a circle of red had coalesced at a particular spot.

“What is it? Demon convention?”

“More like demon rave. They’re all around Pandemonium.”

“Pandemonium? Is that some sort of slang I’m supposed to know?”

Izzy rolled her eyes.

“Pandemonium is a club.”

“Oh, yeah of course. I knew that.”

Izzy just smiled at him.

“Anyway, so I’ll get Jace and we can go check it out.”

“Mom know about this?”

“Mom isn’t back from Idris. So technically, _you’re_ in charge.”

“Okay…so apart from the fact that they seem to be gathering, do we have anymore Intel?”

Izzy shrugged, “there’s some sort of masquerade party going on at Pandemonium?”

Alec’s eyebrow went up, “Okay…anyone interesting on the guest list?”

“Not as far as I know. It’s a downworlder rave though so…”

Alec’s brow furrowed, “Yeah, you neglected to mention that fact. So demons gathering, a downworlder rave…what’s the likely result?”

“Chaos?”

“Is this a recon mission or should we be ready to fight?”

‘ _Obviously,_ we have to kill the demons,” Izzy said.

“Obviously. We should probably assemble two teams. Alpha team goes in as recon and beta team is back up in case things go belly up.”

“Good idea. So you, me, Jace and Stillwater go in as recon. Raj, Underhill, Jones and Grayson provide backup.”

Alec sighed, “Fine. Suit up. Let’s go.”

∞  
Magnus was enjoying himself. He was trying not to jinx it by thinking about how much he was enjoying himself. Inky black hair and long-haired pillock had him in a grinding sandwich. Inky black pressed against his front, rubbing her breasts against his naked chest while long-haired pillock ground his hips against Magnus’ from behind. Everyone was more than a little aroused. It was fun.

Magnus lifted his hand in the air; sensuously shimmering between them as the DJ played You’re So Square Baby I Don’t Care. He got lost in the music and in Freddie Mercury’s voice, surrendering himself to the hypnotic beat and letting it sweep him away.

He had good drinks, sexy bodies adoring him, good music and the company of friends.

He had everything he needed.

∞

Alec stepped into the club and couldn’t hide the grimace on his face. Beside him, Izzy was grinning happily, already looking around the dance floor like she wanted to throw herself into it. There were a lot of half-naked bodies everywhere, and an excess of mustaches. Alec would never understand Downworlders.

“Remember we’re here to work,” he felt compelled to remind both Izzy and Jace. They walked away from him, one to the left the other to the right and he walked forward to the depth of the dance floor, looking for anything that might give them a clue what they had intercepted.

He wasn’t really paying attention to the hordes of dancers, more concerned with uncovering whatever threat there was. So he was surprised to find his eye drawn to three people dancing with obscene abandon to his right. He caught a glimpse of olive skin, a Mohawk, jewelry…and he was turning before his brain could really register what was going on.

Magnus Bane.

Magnus Bane in the midst of a human sandwich, a man grinding against his back while a woman undulated against his gleaming chest. Clearly whatever shock he’d suffered on seeing Alec the other day was long since past.

He knew warlocks were hedonistic but this display was…

Alec’s fist clenched and before he could think, he was walking toward them.

∞

Magnus felt him like an approaching threat before he looked up and saw Alec Lightwood bearing down upon them. He froze, staring in shock. If anyone had asked him who the last person he’d expected to see was at his Masquerade Ball, Alec Lightwood would not have been that name. It would _never_ have occurred to Magnus that a Lightwood would ever be at a party he threw, no, not even as the _very last_ person.

Alec came to a stop beside them, eyes practically shooting flames.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see _you_ here,” he said voice dripping with contempt. His eyes slid to Magnus’ dancing companions, looking at them like he wanted to run them through with his seraph blade.

“Could you excuse us?” he said to them and the man and woman slunk away immediately. The rune on Alec’s neck was on full display tonight and he was clearly dressed for battle. It was no wonder the vampire and the Seelie wanted no part of him.

Magnus narrowed his eyes at Alec, “May I help you with something? I do not recall inviting you to my party and I hate gatecrashers.”

“ _Your_ party?” Alec repeated, looking surprised, “No one told me.”

Magnus’ eyebrow rose but he said nothing.

Alec took a deep breath, “So are you the one who invited a whole hoard of demons?”

∞

Alec’s hands were shaking.

It was all he could do not to notch his bow and put an arrow in the hearts of the two Downworlders that had been dancing with Magnus. He was relieved that they left before he could put thought to action. He wanted to growl at Magnus, ask him how he could just…

Even knowing that Magnus owed him nothing. That what they’d had in Mombasa had been just a holiday fling.

He’d been unable to forget Magnus, even after finding out he was a warlock. It was clear that Magnus had no such trouble. Flinging accusations at him about the demons was the best deflection he could come up with instead of railing at him for entertaining other people when they were….

Whatever they were.

Something.

They weren’t nothing.

It maddened him that Magnus’ raised eyebrow was merely joined by his other one and he stood there looking amused.

“I don’t generally socialize with demons. They don’t tend to be any fun,” Magnus said and Alec huffed an annoyed breath.

“You think this is funny?”

“I don’t even know what _this_ is.”

“Your club is surrounded by demons,” Alec ground out.

“Is it now? I suppose that’s why shadowhunters are here. I was fairly sure it could not be to have fun. Do shadowhunters even know what that means?”

“I tell you there are demons around and you want to make snarky comments about shadowhunters?”

“Well…I can clutch my pearls and look anxious if that works better for you. Or I could simply perform a mass exorcism and you all can then leave my club and let me continue having fun.”

“You can do that?”

Magnus snorted and whirled away, lifting up his finger lazily. An anxious-looking man appeared by Magnus’ side, a pair of horns on his forehead marking him as a warlock. Magnus leaned down and whispered something in his ear and he nodded, disappearing at once. Magnus turned back to Alec.

“It’s taken care of. You can leave.”

Alec hesitated, but Magnus just continued to regard him expectantly so Alec turned around, headed for the door, calling for his team to rendezvous outside as he went. His gut was churning with acid. He wanted to turn back around, confront Magnus, tell him he couldn’t hook up with someone else tonight or any night. His hands were still shaking with reaction. He wanted to destroy something. Preferably anyone who tried to get near Magnus.

He didn’t even recognize himself.

There was a burst of yellow fire and a prolonged scream, fading gradually into the night. Izzy appeared at his side.

“Looks like the demons have been vanquished,” she said pointing to the iPad she was carrying, that showed the dot of red that had signified the presence of demons was now gone.

“I think the warlocks took care of it,” Alec said morosely.

Izzy looked at him, unable to understand his black mood.

“Isn’t’ that a good thing?”

“Uh yeah.” Alec stopped suddenly, “Look, Izzy, take everyone back to the Institute. I’m gonna stay here and keep watch.”

“Alone?” Izzy asked in surprise.

“Yeah. The demons are gone. I’m just making sure nothing else happens. If I need back up, I’ll call.”

Izzy shook her head, “Alec Lightwood, voluntarily hanging out at a club…now I’ve seen everything.”

Alec scoffed, “Go on, I’ll see you later,” he said then turned and headed back to the club. Izzy watched him go, shaking her head in bemusement.

“Shadowhunters, roll out,” she said.


	18. The Glamorous Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec really doesn't know what he's doing. Neither does Magnus.

“There’s something strange going on with Alec,” Izzy said as they walked slowly back to the Institute.

“No shit,” Jace replied.

Izzy sighed, “He’s been weird since he got back from Mombasa…unsettled.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you talked to him about it?”

Jace turned to face her incredulously, “Me? Why would I do that?”

“Because…he’s your parabatai.”

“He’s your brother.”

“ _Our_ brother.”  
“Whatever. You know what I mean.”

Izzy sighed, “I think he met someone in Mombasa, someone he liked.”  
Jace snorted, “What? Like a beach boy?”

Izzy shrugged.

Jace laughed, “The Head of the Mombasa Institute is pretty good looking,” he said.

“He’s like forty. And married,” Izzy protested.

“Fine then, who do you think it is?”

“I don’t know. But…the way Alec’s been acting lately…it’s almost like…he’s…pining.”

Jace laughed, “Yeah right. Like Alec would pine.”  
“Are you saying you don’t feel it?”

“I mean, no yeah I feel _something_ …but pining? Alec wouldn’t pine.”

“Well then what do _you_ think it is?”

“How should I know? I kill demons and slay chicks. I don’t do heart to hearts.”

“True dat.”

“ _You_ do heart to hearts though.”

Izzy sighed, “Yeah, but Alec’s not talking.”

“If anyone can make him talk, you can.”

Izzy rolled her eyes.

“Way to pass the buck, Jace.”

Jace gave her a one-shouldered shrug and a sidelong smile.

∞

Alec craned his neck this way and that but he could not see Magnus. He’d gone back to the last place on the dance floor he’d seen the warlock but Magnus wasn’t there. He wasn’t anywhere that Alec could see.

Had he already left?

Why didn’t he know where Magnus Bane lived?

If he was the High Warlock of Brooklyn shouldn’t Alec have that information? He dug out his phone, meaning to log on to the Institute system and track down Magnus’ address. He stopped short, remembering that if he logged onto the system from a remote location, whatever search he instituted could be traced back to him. Did he really want his mother knowing that he’d been looking up the residence of a warlock?

He thought not.

He tried to think of another solution to finding out exactly where Magnus was and more importantly, who he was with. He decided to walk around and see if he could find the shorter warlock with the horns on his forehead. _He_ probably knew where Magnus was.

∞

Magnus watched Alec Lightwood slither through the crowds on the dance floor, his nose turned up like he smelled something bad. He was a completely different animal from the shy, self-effacing, sweet guy he’d been in Mombasa.

Which one was the real Alexander and why did Magnus care?

There was no possible future in which Magnus Bane and a Lightwood were anything other than mortal enemies. He’d come here to forget this particular mistake; in spite of the fact that Alexander had scuttled that agenda by showing up, the goal still hadn’t changed. The Get Over Your Holiday Fling With A Shadowhunter train was still very much on track. He just had to escalate things a little.

Magnus turned, making for the stairs, wondering where his legs thought they were taking him. He was resigned by the time they came to a stop right in front of Alec. Clearly, his legs had a mind of their own.

“Well well, did you not get the memo that the demons were gone?” he asked wondering why Alexander looked relieved to see him.

“Yes. I did.”

“So why are you still here?”

“Are you planning on sleeping with that guy you were dancing with?” Alec positively blurted.

Magnus’ eyebrows rose in surprise. Of all the things he’d expected to emerge from Alexander’s mouth, this did not make the list.

“I don’t see what business that is of yours.”

“Don’t you?”

Magnus' eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he looked deep in Alexander’s eyes, “What game are you playing Lightwood?”

“Game? I don’t play games.”

Magnus sighed tiredly and whirled away, “Follow me.”

∞

Magnus kept catching him wrong-footed.

First, he disappeared and then reappeared like…well…like magic. He was cutting and rude, so very different from the soft, kind man he’d met in Mombasa. He was distant and not in the least flirty. It hurt something in Alec’s chest; something that felt like loss.

Turning away from him, walking away and ordering Alec to follow him was startling. But Alec did as he said as soon as he unfroze his feet. He had to hurry to catch up with the warlock who had already reached the edge of the dance floor. Magnus led him to an entrance off to the side, down a long quiet hallway from which the loud music was just a distant rhythmic throbbing and opened a door at the end of it with a key.

He gestured for Alec to enter and Alec did, only belatedly realizing that he’d let the warlock lead him away from the safety of numbers out on the dance floor into some private place where he could do the angel knew what to him.

Alec _hoped_ he was planning on doing something dastardly even as he tried to push that thought – and the shiver it produced – away.

“We need to talk,” Magnus said.

Alec turned to face him, looked him in the eye and sighed, “I suppose…” he said.

Magnus walked slowly round the desk and draped himself in the black leather chair, gesturing for Alec to sit as well. Alec looked around, seeing only a black velvet lined sofa to sit on. He hesitated, reluctant to lower himself onto such a luxuriant, soft looking thing when he needed to be on his guard.

“I’ll stand,” he said crossing his arms.

Magnus rolled his eyes, “Suit yourself.” He _did_ straighten up slightly so he wasn’t lounging like a cat.

“So. Mombasa. Did you know who I was?”

“Straight to the point huh?” Alec said sardonically.

Magnus merely lifted an eyebrow.

“No. I didn’t know who you were.”

“And by your horrified reaction when you saw me the other day, I have to conclude that no one at your Institute knows about your…proclivities.”

Alec frowned, “I have no proclivities to know about.”

Magnus smirked.

“Mombasa was…I…I’d never done that before.” Alec found himself saying.

Magnus nodded seeming unsurprised, “I suspected that you were…unpracticed. _Please_ don’t tell me you were a virgin.”

Alec kept silent.

Magnus groaned, resting his head on the v of his crossed arms on the desk, “Nooo,” he mumbled into his elbow.

Alec frowned, “What’s wrong?”

Magnus looked up at him in disbelief, “What’s wrong he asks,” he said to the room at large as if they had an audience. He stood up, facing Alec, looking serious.

“Why are you here, Alexander?”

Alec stared at him, unable to give a satisfactory answer, “I…the demons-”

“The demons are gone Alexander,” Magnus interrupted.

Alec’s lashes swept downwards, hiding his eyes from Magnus.

“I…had to know.”

“Had to know what Alexander?”

“Had to know if you were going to leave with those…people…you were dancing with.”

Magnus stepped out from behind the desk, “Why Alexander?”

Alec sighed, looking at the wall, his face filled with color, “I…”

Fingers flicking back and forth across the happy trail on his belly made Alec suck in his stomach in surprise. He hadn’t even heard Magnus move.

“Why do you care Alexander?” Magnus whispered his fingers tracing patterns along Alec’s abs, pushing his shirt out of the way like it was nothing.

“I…don’t. I was just…”

“You were just…?”

Alec found that he couldn’t quite breathe.  
“Are you falling for me, Alexander?” Magnus asked right in his ear, body a hot brand stuck to Alec’s front. That jolted him out of the fugue state he was in.

“ _No!_ ” he cried, stepping back from Magnus and immediately missing his warmth. Magnus just smiled.

“Oh really? Then why do you care so much who I go home with?”

Alec’s lip trembled. He wanted to open his mouth and say that he didn’t care but the words would not emerge. Instead, “Were you in Mombasa to kill the Popobawa?” was what came out.

Magnus laughed shaking his head and removing his fingers from Alec’s body….much to his disappointment.

“I was. You as well?”

“Yeah. And I guess you didn’t know who I was.”

Magnus inclined his head in acknowledgement, “Why did you hide your runes?”

Alec shrugged, “I liked being incognito.”

∞

The bleakness in Alec’s eyes probably said a lot more than he was intending. Magnus wanted to gather him into his arms and reassure him that one day it would be better. But Alec was a shadowhunter; there was no guarantee that that would be true.

“Well, if you like, you can be incognito tonight too.”

Alec’s eyebrow went up.

“You can glamor yourself no? How about being my Freddie for the night?”

Alec’s eyebrow rose even higher, “Freddie?”

Magnus spread his hands wide, “It’s Bohemian Rhapsody tonight. This is a masquerade ball. Go on and glamor yourself as Freddie Mercury and let’s go have fun.”

Alec stared at him in incomprehension.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Alec just stared.

“ _Can_ I do that?”

“Do you want to?”

Alec looked Magnus up and down and then back up. His eyes were hot and liquid with how much he wanted to touch.

Magnus took a step closer, “What do you say? Wanna be a Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy tonight?”

Alec took a deep breath and took his stele out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well...I wasn't expecting that to happen. can't wait to see what happens next.


	19. After the Party is the Afterparty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec finds out where Magnus lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my workload is huge. will update as I can.

Magnus flopped down on his bed, feeling tired yet happy.

“That was fun,” he breathed.

“For sure,” Alec replied, leaning awkwardly against the dresser. He was still shirtless, dressed in tight leather pants and one of Magnus’ metallic belts. Magnus was really happy at how much he’d committed to the costume. He was no longer wearing a glamor. He had undone it as soon as they stepped in Magnus’ loft.

“So this is where you live?” he asked.

“What were you expecting? Hogwarts?”

Alec’s brow furrowed, “Hogwarts? What is that?”

Magnus shook his head, “Never mind.” He snapped his fingers and his shoes fell from his feet landing neatly in what was clearly their spot on his massive shoe rack. Alec watched with wide eyes as Magnus’ elaborate outfit was replaced by silk pants suitable for lounging about the house.

Alec shook his head slowly.

“What are you shaking your head for?” Magnus wanted to know.

“It’s just…I can’t get used to you doing magic.  And yet, of course you’re a warlock. I mean, you look magical enough…” he stopped, blushing prettily as Magnus smiled.

“Why thank you Alexander,” he said.

Alec merely cleared his throat in embarrassment.

Magnus took a deep nervous breath, “So…what now?”

Alec just stared at him and shrugged making Magnus laughed.

“Extremely helpful input. I could create a portal for you to go back to your Institute if you like.”

Alec stared, mouth opening and closing, but no words emerged. Magnus’ eyebrow lifted.

∞

Alec felt frozen.

He was in what was clearly Magnus’ room, with a half naked Magnus lounging about on a bed. Was he not supposed to think about sex? His mouth was so dry he could not get any words out. Magnus had asked him a question. Something about a portal? He couldn’t really hear anything over the gleaming glittering expanse of Magnus’ chest. He straightened up from the dresser, taking a step toward the bed, and Magnus sat up looking surprised.

Alec took another step and then another, and then he plopped down on the bed, suddenly losing the feeling in his knees.

“I don’t want to go home,” he said.

Magnus smiled, “Well then, I think my bed is big enough for both of us. Do you mean to _never_ go back or is it just tonight?”

Alec laughed and hit his head with the palm of his hand, “What am I doing?” he said, “I can’t do this. I have to go.”

He practically leapt from the bed, looking around uncertainly for a shirt to wear. Magnus’ eyebrow went up.

“What?” he asked.

“Umm, could I borrow a shirt?”

“I’ll do you one better. I’ll summon your clothes from my office at Pandemonium where you left them.”

“Oh…” Alec said feeling foolish for being so caught up he forgot his clothes, “Okay.”

Magnus waved his hands and a rainbow stream of lights and stars flew from them, swirling in circles before popping like a bubble and manifesting Alec’s clothes on the bed. Alec took a deep breath, trying not to look as impressed as he was. He hadn’t yet had occasion to socialize with warlocks before. This was all new to him.

He picked up his clothes and retreated to the bathroom to get dressed. As he shed his costume and wore the uniform of his trade he felt as if he was literally retreating behind the armor that kept him imprisoned. He took a deep breath, emerged from the bathroom and tried to smile at Magnus.

“Well, I should get going.” He said.

Magnus lifted his hand, waved it in a circle and a portal appeared.

“Your ride home,” he said.

Alec nodded, staring at the warlock, unable to take his eyes off of him.

“Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

Magnus reached out and caressed his arm, “You’re very welcome,” he said in that soft voice that made Alec’s stomach shiver. Magnus stepped back and Alec missed his touch. Unthinkingly, he stepped closer to Magnus and reached for him. Magnus’ hand was reaching for his and they were joined at the lips before Alec could think another thought.

Before he knew it, he was manhandling Magnus onto the bed, hand firmly cupped against Magnus’ crotch, cradling his erection lovingly while simultaneously trying to suck out Magnus’ lungs through his mouth. He could feel Magnus’ fingers against his naked back, his shirt pushed up to make way. He painfully extracted one hand from Magnus body and pulled his shirt off over his head. Magnus was hard at work, relieving him of his pants, his boxers and his boots. He stood awkwardly in socks while Magnus stepped back and dropped his silk pants. He was wearing nothing underneath. Alec approved. It was very efficient.

He picked Magnus up in his arms and the warlock clamped his legs around Alec’s waist, making a sound that from anyone else’s lips would be called a yelp. From Magnus’ vocal chords though, it was more of a gasp of surprise. Alec dropped him onto the bed, following him at once his fingers branding Magnus’ ass with how tightly he was squeezing, their lips welded together as if coated with superglue.

Magnus made a pained sound, clutching at Alec’s arms, pulling him as close as he could. Alec’s arm snaked between them hands gathering their erections together and squeezing.

“Lube,” Magnus said in a strangled whisper and suddenly there was a tube in Alec’s hand. He laughed, feeling joyous and free and emptied some onto his palm. He grabbed onto them both again, biting down on Magnus collarbone and then licking up his neck.

 _The sounds_ coming out of Magnus’ mouth made him feel like he might combust; just go supernova and scatter into the stars in a million pieces of orgasmic repletion.

_“Magnus!”_

Magnus’ lips found his again, sucking Alec’s tongue into his mouth as his hips bucked into Alec’s touch. Time and space faded into abstract concepts as the rest of the world disappeared and all there was was the rhythmic slapping sound of flesh on flesh, interspersed with squelching of lube, sweat and precome. The moans trapped in throats unable to escape lips that were fused together. The world contracted to the limits of their bodies, the heat of friction, the soft slide of Magnus’ flopping hair brushing against Alec’s forehead. The want want want which throbbed with every beat of their hearts.

Too much and not enough.

And over way too soon.

“Magnus,” Alec croaked as he collapsed on the bed next to him.

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered even as his eyes closed.

∞

Alec startled awake to find the bed empty. For a moment, he had no idea where he was. Then he caught sight of the golden sheets, the make up on the dresser, the silver shirt discarded on the floor, his clothes scattered like confetti, everywhere.

The High Warlock of Brooklyn.

He was at his apartment.

“Magnus?” he called his voice hoarse with sleep.

There was no answer. He got up, gathered his clothes and put them on. He ventured out of the room, retracing his steps from last night to the living room. On the dining table was a carafe of coffee, a cup and saucer, and an orange. He walked forward looking down at the ensemble.

Breakfast for one.

Magnus was probably trying to tell him something.

A piece of paper drifted down to land on the saucer and he picked it up.

_Alexander,_

_You looked so peaceful; I hesitated to wake you up. I made you some coffee to jumpstart your day. I remember how grumpy you usually are in the morning…well…you’re generally grumpy but you know what I mean._ _J_

_I thought it best not to be here, lest we be tempted to continue last night’s activities. I feel you are conflicted and should maybe have some time to think about what you want to do next._

_Best._

_M._

Alec stared at it, read it again, and then again. What did Magnus mean, conflicted?

The clock on the wall chimed and he looked up to see that it was 7:30 in the morning. He had missed morning briefing.

Breakfast too.

He grabbed the orange and headed for the door and then hesitated, turned back and poured a cup of coffee. He gulped it down as fast as possible and then ran out of the house trying to think of a good reason why he’d been AWOL. Nothing occurred to him as he flagged down a taxi. He ate his orange during the cab ride, and as the car drew up at the church he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and opened them again.

He walked into the Institute, head down, walking as fast and purposefully as possible.

“Alec!”

He froze, breath leaving his body in disappointment. He’d hoped for more time before he had to face his mother. He turned around, standing at ease, eyes straight ahead.

“Where have you been?” she asked heels clicking angrily as she walked toward him.

“I…was on patrol,” he said.

She frowned, “I did not see you on the roster.”

“Something came up.”

“The demons? Isabelle said they were dealt with.”  
“We weren’t sure about that.”

Maryse sighed, irritation defining her posture.

“Well…be that as it may, your fiancée is waiting to meet you in my office. Go get cleaned up and come meet your bride.”


	20. Backwards, Forwards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec deal with stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, it's been a busy time. snuck in an update anyways.

Magnus had to protect his heart. He was an expert at that.  After several centuries of dealing with a heart broken because he gave it too freely, he had learned his lesson.  He had traveled to Transylvania, in search of the toe of a gypsy zombie. It had powerfully magical properties and he had been musing recently, about wiping his own memory of the existence of a certain shadowhunter. He knew full well what falling felt like.  He knew he was falling hard and fast. Knowing that Alec was part of the shadow world, seemed to have removed whatever protections his mind had in place to stop him from pursuing futile endeavors.  He didn't really understand why his mind would think that a shadow hunter was less impossible than a mundane but here they were.

 He also needed to pick up some original vampire blood for a spell.

The morning after his night with Alexander seemed like the perfect time to go ingredient shopping. It wasn't like he did not have a full half a year before he would need to use the vampire blood.  He used it for an equinox spell that he had performed every year since he was forty-five. It was a spell of healing and rebirth and also resealed the magic that he had used to banish his father to Edom.

Waking up at Alexander's side, he had heard the echo of his father's laughter reverberate around the room. How he used to laugh at Magnus's soft heart.  He would make fun of him when he tried to help a little injured lizard that he had found outside of his father's lair in Edom, its little wing on fire.

Magnus has been trying to heal it with his magic but the lizard just kept screaming.  His father had come upon them and laughed.

“You’re only making it worse,” he had said.

“How?” Magnus asked the very picture of naiveté.

“Your magic is the one that's burning it,” Asmodeus had said, laughing the whole time.

Magnus had snatched his hand away, mortified, and then ran off in a fit of pique.  It was the first time he thought about escape. It wasn't the last.

∞

Alec expelled a breath when he saw who was waiting for him in the office. When they got an Intel from their spies in the Circle that Valentine was not only alive but closing in on the mortal cup, they had sent in rescue squad to retrieve the woman who was said to have hidden it.  They were not in time to save Jocelyn Fray, but they did rescue her daughter, Clary, who was then taken to Idris for debriefing. And here she sat in his mother's office looking like a stray cat that got rained on. Alec would not have put it past his mother to have left her in this state deliberately.  She knew his weakness for strays. After the great werewolf incident of ‘02, how could she not?

He'd been just four years old when he came across a puppy shivering in the rain.  They had just moved to New York and Alec had been exploring the park.  His little sister was too young to play with, and he did not know anyone else at the Institute yet. He had heard the whining from underneath a bush and had bent over to see what was making the noise.  He saw the puppy shivering and looking afraid, making the most heartbreaking sounds.  Alec had reached his fingers in, careless of being bitten.

“Come here puppy, come on, come here puppy,” he said in a sing-song voice.

The puppy took one tentative step towards him, and then another.  Alec had reached out gathering a puppy to his chest soothing him against his heart. He stood up deciding on the spot that he was going to keep it.  He also knew that his mother would never let him keep a puppy so he concealed it under his bed. He would bring it food to eat and water to drink, when he peed on his bed he would change that sheets and wash them so that nobody would suspect. He spent endless hours just talking to the puppy stroking it grooming it, making sure it was fine.  The puppy got more and more friendly barking with happiness anytime Alec came into the room.

“Shhh, you can't make noise you have to keep quiet,” he told the puppy and he seemed to understand Alec because he stopped barking and stuck to licking and climbing Alec as a show of affection.

Then one day he came back from his lessons and instead of a puppy he found a little naked boy sitting on his bed. He had raised the alarm of course because that’s what they were trained to do if there was a stranger in the Institute. The little boy looked at Alec as if he’d betrayed him when Hodge came to take him away and Alec quickly dropped to his knees, searching for his puppy to no avail. He’d burst into the tiny cell where they’d locked the boy up.

“What did you do with my puppy?” he whisper-demanded.

The boy looked even more betrayed.

“Alec, it’s me. _I’m_ the puppy,” the boy said and that’s when Alec realized with horror, that he’d domesticated a werewolf. He’d come clean to his mother about the mix-up and the Alpha of the Brooklyn pack had been contacted – at Alec’s insistence – to pick up their wayward member. Alec had been the laughing stock of the Institute for a long while, and he’d stopped adopting strays for a while. That is until a boy whose family had just been killed came to stay with them.

And now here was, undoubtedly, another stray. He had to hand it to his mother, she knew him well. He took a deep breath and thrust out his hand.

“Alec Lightwood, at your service.” He said with resignation. She stared at his hand for a long time like she didn’t know what to do with it.

“Clary Fray,” she said quietly, barely meeting his eyes.

Alec’s shoulders dropped in defeat. He was going to have to take her in. There was not much choice in the matter. What else could he do?

“Are you hungry?” he asked, “I think there’s some soup in the kitchen.”

Clary shook her head slowly; it looked like she could barely hold it up.

“Well…I’ll show you to your rooms. You can rest for a while.”

She nodded slowly.

Alec sighed. He was so screwed.


	21. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After this, shit gets real.

Magnus had barely stepped in his door when he was assailed by a fire message.

_We need you at the Institute. It’s urgent._

Magnus snorted, ‘ _Typical Maryse; no please, no thank you. Just orders_ ,’ he thought.

He deliberately pulled his mind from where it wanted to reflect on Maryse’s son and how he differed from his mother.

Not much really, now that Magnus thought about it. He wasn’t big on the pleases or the thank yous either. He was brusque and tended to not pay attention to other people’s feelings. Magnus guessed he couldn’t blame him totally; socialization would do that to you. He still remembered vividly his own socialization at the hands of his father. He’d done some pretty fucked up shit under that influence. He was in no position to judge anyone. Especially some wet-behind-the-ears fledgling shadowhunter.

Magnus realized he was still thinking about Alexander even when he was deliberately making an effort not to. It was supremely annoying.

He gathered his bag that contained basic ingredients and left, taking a portal to the Institute, all the while hoping not to run into Alec.

Maryse’s other child, Isabelle, met him at the door.

“My mother says that you should proceed directly to her office. She is waiting there for you.”

Magnus nodded, going off at a fast clip, not meeting anyone’s eyes in an effort to not even look for Alec. He arrived at Maryse’s office unscathed and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Magnus,” she said like his name was literally a bitter pill she had to swallow, “Good of you to come.”

“Perhaps you can tell me why I am here?”

“Yes well, I have a magical problem I thought you might be able to help me with.”

“Of course you do. What is the problem?”

“My son’s fiancée has possession of an object quite beyond her ken and I need you to help her retrieve it.”

Magnus frowned, “Your son’s fiancée?”

“Has a magical problem, yes.”  
Magnus wanted to ask which son but he really had no reason – that Maryse knew of – to care.

“I see. Well, where is this fiancée? Perhaps I should speak to them.”

Maryse picked up her phone and sent a message.

∞

Alec was sitting in the kitchen opposite Clary, watching her eat. She looked less bedraggled and a lot more animated probably because her hunger was slaked. A movement at the doorway had him turning his head.

“Jace,” he said with resignation.

His foster brother stepped into the room, eyes on Clary.

“Who’s your friend?”

“This is Clary Fairchild,” Alec said and Jace came forward and held out his hand, “Jonathan Christopher, good to meet you. My friends call me Jace.”

Clary raised her eyes slowly, brown eyes meeting heterochromatic ones, seemingly locked in a quest to find each other’s souls. Alec leaned back in his chair looking from one to the other, his brow furrowing at this new development. It was a while before Clary stretched out her hand and took Jace’s.

“Pleased to meet you too,” she said.

Alec’s phone beeped and he lifted it to see a message from his mother.

“Maryse wants to see us,” he told Clary as gently as he could, “Are you ready?”

Clary tore her eyes away from Jace with difficulty, “Sure,” she said.


	22. Curioser and Curioser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec can't take.

Clary’s eyes widened as soon as she entered Maryse’s office and saw Magnus. She opened her mouth only to close it again as he shook his head minutely at her.

“Magnus, this is my son’s fiancée, Clarissa Fairchild,” she said, “And she is in need of some magical help to retrieve something of tremendous import to the Clave.”

“Wait…” Magnus pointed between Clary and Alec, “No…”

Alec was frozen where he stood, having had all mental and physical faculties abandon him as soon as he stepped in the office and saw Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brookly, his male lover standing on the other side of his mother’s desk. Things flashed through his mind at a rate he could not process.

 _So this is what they mean when they say gay panic._ He mused in bemusement.

His eyes jumped from place to place looking for somewhere safe to land. He felt as if he must sit down, or fall down. No one else in the room seemed to have noticed his crisis, not even Magnus who had every reason to know why he was freaked out.

Maybe I’m a better actor than I realized. He snorted, and then realized that was audible to everyone else and his heart rate doubled.

“Alec, Magnus Bane is the High Warlock of Brooklyn and appearance notwithstanding, he is as powerful as they come and will be able to help us solve this problem.” Maryse said to him, clearly misconstruing his snort as some sort of commentary on Magnus’ capabilities.

 _Appearance notwithstanding?_ He glanced at Magnus to see if he had taken his snort the same way but found that the Warlock and Clary were locked in some sort of non-verbal communication.

 _Do they know each other?_ He wondered, his mind going immediately to the fact that Magnus was bisexual; maybe he and Clary were former lovers! Alec tried to dismiss the thought. He was aware that his feelings of possession over the warlock bordered on obsessive. He blamed it on his virginity. No doubt everyone felt the same about their first lover. It wasn’t like he could ask…

_Maybe Izzy could tell me…_

Magnus turned to Maryse, “If you wish me to help Clary with magic, she must come with me.”

Maryse narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “Come with you where?”

“To my apartment.”

Maryse immediately puffed up her chest, a clear refusal in her eyes.

“I’ll go with her,” Alec said before his mother could say anything.

Maryse nodded stiffly and before Alec could blink, Magnus had created a portal. Magnus grabbed Clary’s hand and went through with Alec right on their heels. He stepped out to find he was on the roof of Magnus’ apartment and that Magnus and Clary were nowhere to be seen. He huffed, taking the stairs two at a time and then power walking to Magnus door; torn between fear and anger about what he would find on the other side.

He had no doubt that Magnus had diverted the portal to give himself more time with Clary. The question was...why?

He banged on the door, all his emotions transfering to his fist and almost fell into the apartment when the door opened abruptly. He found Magnus pacing in his living room while Clary wrung her hands near the window.

“What’s going on here?” he asked.

Clary cowered, annoying Alec further so he glared at Magnus. He wasn’t - yet – at kicking puppies stage.

“Magnus?” he growled.

Magnus sighed, “Clary and I... are acquainted.” he said clearly reluctant.

“Magnus!” Clary cried like he had committed the vilest betrayal. Magnus waved a hand.

“It’s alright. Alexander has his own secrets. He won’t betray us.” he said and Alec’s eyebrow disappeared into his hair.

He stepped in front of Magnus so the warlock would stop pacing and tried to look in his eyes.

“Magnus, what’s going on?” he asked.

The warlock sighed, “The magic your mother wants me to teach Clary is to enable her to retrieve the Mortal Cup from the place where it is stored. Unfortunately, it’s Angel magic and not really something I can help with. Besides, Clary already knows how to retrieve it.”

“Magnus!” Clary practically screamed and Alec was beginning to understand that she wasn’t as helpless as she seemed.

“We need his help,” Magnus said to Clary and they held that eye to eye communication again. Alec could not help it. He stepped between them, turning to Magnus.

“I need to talk to you,” he said, “Alone.”

Magnus looked in his eyes for a long while before nodding curtly, “Come with me.”

He turned leading the way to a room Alec had never been in. It was filled with jars of obscure ingredients and shelves of books. In the middle of the room was a mahogany desk, large enough for Alec to lie on and not have to bend his legs. It had on it a computer at one end, continuously streaming some sort of feed and on the other end, a spatula, mortar and pestle and a long thin wooden stick which Alec suspected might be a wand although he had never seen Magnus use such a thing.

Alec grabbed his arm before he could put the desk between them, turning him around to face him. Just because Magnus looked and smelled so good, Alec did not release his arm so they were practically body to body and eye to eye.

“Talk to me,” Alec whispered unable to disguise the hoarseness of his voice or the desire in his eyes.

Magnus reached out a hand and put it very gently on Alec’s chest, “So Clary is your fiancée? You neglected to mention that.”

Alec’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t been expecting that answer from Magnus. Hell, he’d assumed that Magnus had barely noticed. He felt a curious kind of glee to know that he had.

“I just found out a few hours before you did,” he said.

“You...found out? How does one ‘find out’ they have a fiancée?”

“Mom-” Alec began but Magnus held up his hand.

“Say no more,” he said with a sigh, “So I take it this isn’t your idea?”

Alec caressed Magnus’ body with his eyes, “No,” he said, “It wasn’t.”

Magnus nodded, eyes fluttering as if he was as aroused as Alec, “I see,” his voice was also a whisper with a hint of hoarseness. Alec smiled, eyes on Magnus’ mouth.

Magnus smirked, “So you gonna kiss me or what?”


	23. Trust Is Earned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary, Magnus and Alec have trust issues.

Magnus leaned toward Alec who pushed him away quite roughly much to Magnus’ surprise.  
“That’s all you have to say? I tell you I’m getting married and you ask if I’m going to kiss you?”  
Magnus scoffed, “Biscuit isn’t going to marry you. I won’t let that happen.”  
Alec’s eyes narrowed, “Why? What’s wrong with me?”  
Magnus smirked, “Well for starters, you’re gay. Second, you’re a shadowhunter. Third, you are absolutely not what Clary needs. And fourth but not least, you’re in love with me.”  
Alec’s pale skin flooded with color. “I…I-don’t...I. I’m not.”  
Magnus ignored him, whirling away and sashaying toward a glass-cased wardrobe. He unlatched it, fiddling with the ingredients inside, looking for a specific combination. He turned back toward Alec, his hands full.  
“I’m sorry Alexander but I cannot let the Clave get its hands on the cup.”  
Alec’s mouth dropped in surprise, “How do you know about that?”  
Magnus eyed him in disbelief, “Are you serious? I’m the High Warlock of Brooklyn.”  
Alec reared back, regarding Magnus like he wasn’t sure what to think. A tentative knock on the door had them turning to see Clary peering into the room.  
“Guys? We don’t have infinite time here.” She said.  
Magnus strode toward her, “Sorry biscuit. You’re right. Alexander was just telling me about your impending marriage. I was just telling him how it’s not happening.”  
Clary’s mouth turned down, “I wasn’t exactly given a choice.”  
Magnus put his arm around her shoulders, leading her back to the living room as Alec trailed behind them, “Don’t worry about that Biscuit, I’ll take care of it.”  
Clary laid her head on Magnus shoulder, her arm around his waist. They looked super cozy together. Alec wanted to reach out, grab the girl’s arm and wrench it out of its socket, maybe throw it out of the window. Teach her to touch what wasn’t hers….  
He stopped short, shocked at the violence of his thoughts. He eyed Magnus, wondering if the man had cast a spell on him.  
“How do you intend to do that?” he asked belatedly. Both Magnus and Clary turned around, looking surprised like they’d forgotten he was there.  
“No offense Alexander but we are not at a place where I tell you any of my secrets.”  
“Oh yeah? So you and Clary being thick as thieves isn’t a secret?”  
They both looked stumped at that question turning to look at each other with disturbing synchronicity.  
“Please don’t tell on us,” Clary said her eyes wide and beseeching as they stared into his. Alec’s own narrowed.  
“I have to say that your strategy is a bit weak if it depends on pleading,” he almost sneered. He really was beginning to dislike her scrawny ass.  
“Not really Alexander. We’re not the only ones who have a secret we’d prefer no one find out about,”Magnus' eyes glowed with catlike intensity and Alec was too distracted by that to react to the implied blackmail.  
There was a bit of a Mexican standoff as they stared at each other. Then Magnus took a step toward him his eyes fading to their usual chocolate brown.  
“Alexander, we’re all on the same side here, right?”  
Alec looked from Magnus to Clary, “Which side is that?”  
“The side of right,” Magnus said at once.  
“Are you saying my mother is in the wrong here?”  
Magnus just looked at him.  
Alec shook his head, “I can’t conspire with you.”  
Magnus’ clapped his hands, and then made a circle, opening a portal, “In that case, we have to go.”  
He grabbed Clary’s hand, disappearing into the portal and leaving Alec standing in his living room, gaping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapters are probably going to be shorter because time is severely limited.


	24. Endgame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus has a plan. So does Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapters take much less time to write.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Clary said as they landed in her and her mother’s former abode; an apartment above the antiquities shop they owned.

“Do what?” Magnus asked absently as he set his ingredients on the table.

“Choose me over him,” Clary said her voice very small. Magnus smiled.

“Who said I did that?” he asked his voice soft and amused.

“You just...left him there.”

Magnus arranged a set of identical, smooth black stones in an intricate pattern, “Alexander is a great guy and if he was straight and amenable, I would support wholeheartedly your union with him. That is, if you were amenable too. But he’s not and you’re not and the Clave is doing this as a means to control you. So what we must do is remove from your vicinity the Mortal Cup. That way, their interest in you fades to nil and they no longer need to control you.”

Clary’s mouth was agape as she stared at him, “That’s...kind of brilliant. But I thought we weren’t giving them the cup.”

“We aren’t.”

“So, what are we doing?”

“I have lived for millennia biscuit. I know people, and I know things. I can send the cup so far away that it would essentially be out of reach of anyone and anything.”

Clary came closer, “Where will you send it.”

Magnus sighed, “I recently returned from Mombasa – it's actually where I met Alexander – and while I was there I heard a legend of a place named Shimoni. It was basically a cave underground where would-be slaves were stowed before being put on ships. The Swahili say that it is a place of so much sorrow that the grief has created a rift in time and if you journey into it far enough, you can hear the wailing of souls that were kept there. Their despair like a blanket that suffocates. But this place also keeps time in stasis. When you are in there, you are both in the past and the present. Time stands still and at the same time, is always moving. It is said if you lose something in that pit, it stays lost.”

Clary took a deep shaky breath, “And we want the cup to be lost? Forever?”

Magnus shook his head, “Nothing is lost forever. But while the Clave dedicates all their efforts to retrieving the cup, they will have no interest in you.”

“I don’t know Magnus. It’s an awful lot of trouble to go to just for me.”

“It’s not just for you Biscuit much as I want to protect you. There is a bigger threat on the horizon and he must be neutralized before the cup is found. I am simply buying time.”

“You mean Valentine.”

“I mean Valentine.

∞

Alec paced up and down, wondering what to do. He could not go back to the Institute without Clary unless he was willing to say why. His desire not to do that was not completely unselfish. His mother would think him grossly incompetent if she knew he had let them get away. He did not want her thinking that. Being incompetent would be even worse than being gay.

He also didn’t want to stop seeing Magnus and if his mother knew...

He cut that thought off, not wanting to dwell on it. This thing he had with Magnus was dangerous and it was probably time to cut it off. Even if Magnus succeeded in getting him unaffianced to Clary, there would be some other political alliance to be made in which he would act as his mother’s pawn. That was his role. As leader-in-waiting, it was his job to make all the right moves and his mother was just looking out for him.

What kind of leader dated the High Warlock of Brooklyn?

No leader  _he_  had ever heard of.

No.

He needed to get Clary back and cut off all ties with Magnus. It was the smart thing to do. 

He remembered that he had Magnus’ number in his phone and fished it out. To his surprise, Magnus had texted him.

_Give us fifteen minutes._

Alec stared at it as if expecting more information would appear if he looked hard enough. He sighed, slumping down onto the soft cushiony folds of Magnus’ sofa. 

Fifteen minutes and then the adventure would be done.


	25. Enter the Seez

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec calls in reinforcements.

He stared at his watch, quite sure that fifteen minutes had passed half an hour ago. Maybe he needed to consider some new options.

_Like what though?_

He took a deep breath and dialed Izzy’s number.

“I need your help.”

“Name it.”

Alec’s heart warmed, just knowing that Izzy was in with both feet even not knowing what he needed her for.

“I have…a problem.”

“Yeah, you do.” She agreed with enthusiasm making Alec roll his eyes.

“Do you know where Magnus Bane lives? I need you to meet me here.”

“I suppose I could look it up. It should be in the files.”

“Can you do it without anyone knowing?”

“Does a seraph blade kill demons?”

“Fine. Hurry. It’s a little urgent.”

“Okay. I’ll call an uber and meet you.”

Alec hung up with a sigh of relief. He felt better having Izzy at his back. She’d always been a bit of a rebel, so she was better schooled in all this underhanded shit. While he’d been memorizing Clave rules as a child, she had been mapping escape routes from the Institute, sneaking out and mingling with Downworlders. He didn’t know why he hadn’t confided everything to her before.

His eyes fell on a painting of Magnus, dressed in sixties bell bottoms and sporting sideburns.

_Oh yeah, that’s why. I’m sleeping with a warlock. Or I was. That probably ends today._

Izzy, Magnus, and Clary arrived within minutes of each other. Izzy by the front door while Magnus and Clary portaled in from wherever.

Magnus sighed as soon as his eyes fell on Izzy, “Great. Another Lightwood.”

Izzy stuck out her hand, “Magnus Bane. How nice to see you again.”

Magnus’ eyes drifted over her hand before he deigned to grasp it in his own, “I hope I can say the same.”

He turned to face Alec, face resolute, “Clary and I have retrieved the cup. It is no longer in her possession.” He announced.

“What?” Alec took a step closer, mostly in disbelief, “Where is it?”

Magnus studied his nails, answering nonchalantly. “I have sent it through a tear in time where it will float undisturbed, probably for millennia.”

“No,” Alec wailed.

 Clary thrust something at him, Alec saw that it was a video recorder, “I filmed the whole thing,” she said, “the cup is gone.”

Alec smacked his forehead, “Mother will kill me.”

Magnus sashayed closer, running a gold painted nail down his chest, “Never fear, I shall explain how I, a dastardly warlock, tricked you _and_ Clary. The blame will lie solely on me.”

Alec stared at him, trying to see beyond the masks to the man beneath. A man who was risking his life, putting his body in front of his and Clary’s. He might be executed for this. It might count as treason. Certainly violating the accords.

_Why would this man, this warlock, do this?_

“No. I won’t allow that. This was _my_ responsibility; I shall take the blame for the loss of the cup.”

Izzy snorted irritably, “A-are you done?” she asked them, “Are you finished?”

Everyone in the room stared at her.

She turned to Magnus, “ _Why_ did you send the cup away Magnus? I assume you have some reason beyond being a thorn in the Clave’s side?”

Magnus’ eyes narrowed at her, “I do,” he said cautiously.

Izzy nodded.

“And Alec, why did you call me here? To arrest a warlock or to save him?”

Her eyes locked with his and he did not look away. Izzy had always seen too much but now he wanted someone… _else_ …to know. To see him and to recognize who he really was. Izzy had always offered to be that someone. But he had been too locked in his own head to see it. Now he could. She was here to support him. She would not judge him. She was on his side.

“Save.” He said; the only word he could get out. He knew he’d made the right call when her eyes lit up with happiness, and then brightened with moisture though she did not do anything so mundane as to cry.

“I am eight hundred years old, I do not need a couple of fledgling shadowhunters to save me,” Magnus declared.

“Well too bad, because we’re going to do it anyway,” Izzy said eyes on Alec, a smirky smile on her face. Alec knew it well. It spelled trouble.

She turned to Magnus. “Portal us to the Institute. We are going to see my mother. Let me do the talking.”


	26. Ultimatums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maryse gets to find out what has been up.

Maryse merely stared at Izzy like she could not believe her ears. She veritably paled which was just about the scariest thing that Alec had ever seen.

“Mother what’s-”

“You do not know what you have done,” Maryse whispered, sitting back slowly in her chair like her legs were melting beneath her and therefore unable to hold her up anymore.

Izzy took a step forward, “Mom?” she sounded very young and scared all of a sudden, never having seen her mother in such a state.

Maryse shook her head, “We are doomed.”

Alec stepped forward, unable to stand the dramatics a moment longer, “What do you mean, mother?” he asked.

Maryse sighed, closing her eyes. “There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it,” she began.

Magnus turned toward the door, “I’ll just…” he said pointing at it.

“No,” Maryse said sharply, “Stay. You have caused this problem, you might as well know the extent of the damage you have done.”

Magnus’ brow furrowed as he gave her a look chock-full of suspicion. “Okay…” he said, dragging the word out like he was skeptical of the veracity of Maryse’ words.

“Your father and I…” Maryse began and then stopped to look them all in the eye, “we were members of Valentine’s circle.”

Everyone exclaimed in shock except for Magnus who looked unsurprised. Alec took a step toward him.

“You knew,” he said unable to keep the accusation out of his tone.

Magnus nodded, “Indeed I did.” He narrowed his eyes at Maryse as if there was a lot more to that story that he could tell. Alec was so busy gawking at him he missed his mother’s next words.

“When Valentine began to rise again, naturally the Clave was suspicious of anyone who had previously shown allegiance to him and surveillance and restrictions were heightened where we were concerned. It behooved us to prove our loyalty.”

Alec looked from his mother to Clary, “Is that why you wanted me to marry her? To prove our loyalty?”

Maryse sighed, “Yes, and no. Clary had a mortal instrument in her possession which was a great bargaining chip and a chance to show that we would go the distance in keeping the cup away from Valentine. Now instead of presenting the cup to the Clave, we have managed to lose it…” her voice trailed away with despair.

“What will they do to you?” Izzy asked quietly.

Maryse shook her head, “I would not care so much if it was just me or your father. But…” she looked from Izzy to Alec, “they will target you too.” her voice broke on the last word, “And I cannot protect you.”

Magnus’ eyes were locked on Alec’s. “I won’t let that happen.” He said.

Maryse scoffed. “You just said you have put the cup out of reach of even yourself. The Clave will never accept that. They will destroy us all.”

“But if they do that, they’ll never get the cup.” Magnus said.

Maryse narrowed her eyes at him. “There is something you are not telling us, isn’t there?”

Magnus smirked. “I have not survived for almost a millennium without always having a contingency plan.”

Maryse sighed, “And what will this contingency plan cost us?” she asked wearily.

Magnus looked around the room, noting the suspicion on both Maryse and Izzy’s faces, the hope in Clary and the confusion in Alec’s.

“You will set Clary free, and you will let Alec be whomever he wishes to be.” Magnus said.

Maryse stiffened and Izzy’s eyes widened in understanding, looking from Alec to Magnus. Clary hunched into herself, hiding behind Magnus. Alec choked on air and began to cough in shock.


	27. A Series of Fortunate Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Has Alec been outed or is he just an overdramatic gay?

_Gay panic is a real thing!_ A panic-stricken Alec thought frantically as he tried to clear the imaginary obstruction from his throat. His mother and Isabel were talking over each other, still managing to disagree even when they could not really hear what each other was saying. Magnus stood nonchalantly in the middle of the room, studying his nails as if he was wondering which color to paint them next. Clary stood a little behind him, looking warily at everyone like she was waiting to be attacked.

Alec wanted to grab Magnus by the throat and squeeze until the warlock was at least, _almost_ dead. Years of painstakingly keeping his…predilections to himself and Magnus casually exposes him with nary a word. His mother was giving him a look™. He was sure of it even though he dare not even glance in her direction lest she confirm her suspicions by the gazing into his eyes. He shut them tight, trying to remember how to breath.

His mother’s voice startled him out of the fugue state into which he had managed to fall. “Magnus I have no idea what you mean by those demands but I do assure you that I am not-”

Magnus cut her off like it was _nothing_. “Maryse.”

She stopped speaking, probably just as shocked as he was that someone had deigned to interrupt her. He risked a glance at Magnus, his tall, graceful figure, that hair – so punk rock and devil may care – his nails painted black and his eyes lined with kohl. Magnus Bane had spoiled him for anyone else. Alec stopped resisting that knowledge in that moment, his shoulders dropping as if he had gotten rid of a burden he had not been aware of holding for so long.

“Let us _not_ pretend that you are powerless to meet my demands Maryse. It’s a profound waste of time and while _I_ do have all the time in the world, _you_ do not. Mortality can be such a drag don’t you think? Get back to me when you have worked the word ‘yes’ into your vocabulary.”

He turned, swirling his hand in an elegant arc, and he and Clary disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

Alec sighed.

He slowly raised his eyes to meet the ire in his mother’s, squaring his shoulders for her judgment.

“Alec, I do not know what that Warlock thinks he’s doing, but you will find him and you will bring the cup back. Do you understand?”

Alec nodded stiffly, not knowing if he had escaped or his mother was pushing aside uncomfortable revelations in the face of fulfilling the mission. He was surprised to find that he was near tears at the thought that she would sweep his biggest darkest secret aside like it meant nothing. He decided to believe that she had not understood Magnus’ words.

“Well? What are you waiting for?” her voice was sharp and snappy and Alec turned leaving the room with a military precision march. Once he was in the corridor, he stopped, not knowing what to do next. He could hear his mother and sister, their voices raised again and moved further away so as not to hear what they were saying. He did not think he could bear it if they were fighting over him.

“Dude!”

He looked up to see Jace hurrying toward him, rubbing at his Parabati rune, “What is going on? This thing is like a fritzing radio.”

Alec shook his head, feeling that his day could absolutely not get any worse.

“What happened?” Jace insisted.

Alec took a deep breath and explained about Magnus and the cup.

“Now mother has ordered me to get it back and I have no idea where to start.”

“Okay,” Jace said, and paused to think. Alec’s frown lightened and he almost smiled to see the effort Jace was making. Thinking was not his strong suit.

“Well, where do you think he is now?”

Alec shook his head, “I don’t know. His apartment? Mombasa? Timbuktu? Who knows?”

“Wait, you said he’d hidden the cup in a secret place in Mombasa, so he’s probably not there. If he’s waiting for mom to give him an answer he probably went home.”

Alec gave him a skeptical look.

Jace shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt to check.”

“Fine. How are we getting there?”

Jace grinned. “Race you?”

“Dude, you don’t even know the way.” Alec called as he took off. Not that that had ever stopped Jace before…

***

They were in the kitchen, straining some chamomile tea and waiting for the cookies to finish baking when there was a knock on the door. Clary looked up at Magnus, fear in her eyes. He waved his fingers at her before swirling them and opening the door.

“Magnus!” she cried.

“Don’t worry. Alec would never hurt us.” Magnus said as he fixed his eyes expectantly at the kitchen door even as he heard Alec’s wary footsteps in the hall.

Two pairs of footsteps. He wasn’t alone.

“Magnus?” Alec called.

“In here.” Magnus called as Clary hunched over on her stool and then straightened her spine like the Fairchild she was and turned to face whatever came.

Alec stepped into the room, his tall figure filling the doorway and obscuring his companion. Magnus smiled, “You’re just in time for tea and cookies,” he said. Alec took another step into the room, clearly fighting a smile.

“My mother sent me.”

“Of course she did.” Magnus said as he turned to pour a cup for Alec. He turned when he heard Clary’s gasp.

“You!” she said.

Magnus looked up to see what had put that look of shock on her face to see a young man, slightly shorter than Alec with the most unfortunate hair Magnus had ever seen. He was staring back at Clary with a confused look, as was Alec.

“Biscuit?” he said.

“No thanks,” Alec said.

“Yes?” Clary whispered.

“What’s the matter?” Magnus asked ignoring Alec.

“It’s him,” Clary said turning to Magnus, “The man from my dream.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing regency romance for work. blame the overly formal language on that.


	28. Light bulb moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wait.   
> Jace kills Clary?   
> and other stories.

“What dream?” Jace asked stepping forward so that he was standing between Alec and the girl. Clary her name was if Jace recalled correctly from their brief meeting in the Institute kitchens, not too long ago.

Clary simply gaped at him.

Magnus took a step closer to her, resting his palm on her shoulder and squeezing lightly. “Biscuit? Are you alright?”

She nodded slowly.

“I didn’t recognize you before,” she whispered, “But…it’s you. You’re the man that kills me.”

There was a very thick silence in the room after that statement.

“Ummm,” Jace said turning helplessly to face Alec with a raised eyebrow. His parabatai stepped into the breach, as always.

“What do you mean by that Clary? What dreams?” his voice was soft and coaxing like he was trying to persuade a stray dog to eat the piece of succulent meat he’d thrown before it even though every other person who did that was probably trying to poison or kill it.

Clary looked at Magnus, asking if it was okay to speak without saying a word.

Magnus took a deep breath and turned to the other two shadowhunters. “Clary is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill shadowhunter,” he began, capturing both Jace and Alec’s attention immediately, “Two years ago she had an…accident.”

“What kind of accident?” Jace asked seeming very concerned for someone not emotionally involved with anyone in the room.

“She fell in a vat – shall we call it – of magic. It was unfortunate. She wasn’t supposed to be at the warlock meeting but her mother needed someone to watch her for a while because she suspected Valentine was closing in on her and I had this warlock thing I couldn’t put off…long story short, she got into something she shouldn’t have,” and here he paused to give Clary an admonishing look, making her drop her eyes, “and now she gets these…flashes of the future.”

Alec drew in a deep breath. “Wow.” He manfully refrained from rolling his eyes, “I just knew you were gonna be trouble the first time I saw you.”

“Who me?” both Clary and Magnus said.

Alec looked from one to the other, and then to Jace who was studying him very speculatively. Well, if his mother was still in denial about the state of his love life, clearly Jace was not.

“Yeah.” Alec said because it was true. They were _both_ turning his life upside down.

Jace laughed.

No.

He brayed like a hyena.

Sometimes his parabatai could be so immature.

_Time to change the subject._

“So you’re saying Jace is going to kill Clary?”

That earned him narrowed eyes from his parabatai for completely different reasons.

“I’m saying I’ve had these dreams where a man closely resembling this one here, kills me.”

“How does he do it?” Alec really wanted to know although he was also enjoying Jace’s discomfort.

“He drops me off a building.”

“Ooh.” Alec was impressed. That sounded cold as fuck, even for Jace. Considering how he was eyeing the girl, he had more than a passing interest in her. Maybe he could persuade Maryse that Jace was the more appropriate choice for Clary’s bridegroom. That would probably prevent any murders from happening in addition to getting her off his chest. Then he remembered the mortal cup. And the fact that his mother had been a circle member. And the uncompromising way she’d ordered him to get the cup back – by any means necessary implied.

_She knows._

The thought came to Alec out of nowhere, certain and fully developed. His mother knew about Magnus. She expected Alec to seduce the cup out of him. The thought of his homosexuality might have been taboo, but now that it was convenient…

Alec felt nauseous.

“I…excuse me,” he mumbled, hurrying to Magnus’ bathroom so that he could throw up.


	29. Make Friends with the Monster Under Your Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> parenting 101 as taught by Magnus Bane

**_Monsters stuck in your head._ **

**_We are, we are, we are,_ **

**_Monsters under your bed…_ **

Alec listened to the words of the song playing softly through the speakers in Magnus’ wall as he threw up.

 _Really so appropriate._ He reflected with despair as his thoughts overwhelmed him.

 _Mom is hyperfocused, yes, she is, but to whore me out? No, I must be imagining things_.

He heaved one more time, bile sliming out of his mouth in a disgusting green string. He spat, watching it swirl in the loo, mixing with his upchucked food before he flushed it all away.

 _Wish it was that easy to get rid of everything else_. He thought bitterly as he got shakily to his feet. He walked to the door, reaching to place his palm flat on the white wood as he closed his eyes and breathed. He had to find his game face and put it on. He was pretty sure Jace knew that something was up; there was no way all this emotion hadn’t seeped through the bond. But he hoped that he could at least still fool Magnus and Clary.

He opened the bathroom door and made to step out, stopping short as he caught sight of Magnus, sitting on his bed, bouncing a ball of blue energy in his hand. He froze, staring, knowing that Magnus had been waiting for him.

He opened his mouth but nothing came out of it.

Magnus turned to face him. “Feeling better?”

Alec was shaking his head before he realized what he was doing.

Magnus patted the spot next to him on the bed and Alec was walking toward it before his brain could come back online.

He sat down gingerly, eyes on his hands. Magnus turned his body to face him.

“What’s the matter?” his voice was so soft and gentle that Alec almost burst into tears again.

“N-nothing,” he whispered.

Magnus reached out, rubbing his shoulder lightly with his fingers. “I don’t know if I ever told you this…” he inclined his head and pursed his lips, “Probably not since we weren’t exactly being upfront about who we were in Mombasa…” he sighed. “Good times…”

Alec turned his head to look at Magnus with bemusement. The warlock shook his head as if breaking free from memories.

“Anyway, so I wanted to tell you about my mother. She was a beautiful woman. She loved flowers, had a garden that she tended with focused care. I remember the roses…” his voice trailed off, eyes changing color from brown to gold and back again. Alec stared in fascination.

“My father…” he glanced briefly at Alec, face warming as he blushed. “He came to her in the garden of her home, spoke with her, seduced her, placed her under his spell. He didn’t stick around once he’d impregnated her of course. She never knew what he was.”

Alec straightened up, realizing that Magnus was telling him something important.

“I loved her more than anything. And she loved me.” He looked at Alec, deliberately dropping the glamor that hid his cat eyes, “but not enough to see past my eyes. She killed herself on my tenth birthday.”

Alec gasped, his hand reaching out to grasp Magnus’.

“Mothers are complicated. We must remember that sometimes, especially when we see their feet of clay.”

Alec just blinked at him. Magnus turned his hand over beneath Alec’s so that they could clasp hands.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“How did you know?” Alec croaked.

Magnus shrugged. “I know your mother well. I know the things that drive her.” His other hand rose to rest on Alec’s cheek. “I know what drives _you_.”

Alec’s lip trembled as he stared at Magnus. “You see me.”

“I see you.” Magnus said and then laughed.

“What?”

Magnus shook his head. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen the movie _Titanic_ have you?”

Alec frowned, shaking his head.

“Well then, the joke will make no sense to you.”

Alec just looked from one eye to the other before shaking his head. “I could never catch up to you. You’ve seen so much, know so much. I feel like you understand everything about me and I…barely know you.”

Magnus gave a small bitter laugh, rubbing at Alec’s cheek. “But you want to.”

“I do. I want to.”

Magnus leaned in, touching his lips to Alec’s. “That’s all I ask. We can make our own inside jokes.”

“Or I could watch _Titanic_.”

Magnus gave a curiously pleased laugh.

“Yes, you could.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was secretly planning to at least have an update every weekend but whew chile, menstruation is a pain in the ass.


	30. Mexican Standoff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jace has thoughts.

“Just for the record, I don’t go around killing shadowhunters. My job is to protect mundanes.” Jace said as he poured Clary Fairchild a cup of coffee.

“Oh I’m sure that’s true. You seem like a very nice guy.” Clary placated him, taking her cup and giving him a huge – fake – smile.

“You don’t believe me.” He said curiously disappointed.

“I just…my predictive dreams have not failed to come true yet.”

“Did your dream say why I killed you?” Jace felt offended by the whole thing. As if he was being falsely accused of something.

“No. But I’m sure you had a good reason.”

“Do not…placate me please.” Jace gritted his teeth, trying to contain his annoyance.

“Sorry.” She sipped her coffee hunching in on herself.

She was so timid. It was irritating. He had not done _one single thing_ to deserve her fear, yet she looked at him as if he might drag her to the window right this minute and throw her out. His bad mood was exacerbated by whatever was going on with Alec. He was clearly very upset though he seemed better now. He had a feeling that he and the warlock knew each other a lot better than either was letting on.

Jace didn’t know exactly how to say, “Yo, I’m happy for you and I support your decisions.” He usually left that shit to Isabel. He was still kind of miffed that Alec didn’t know that he could trust him with this…whatever _this_ was. Isabel said he hadn’t said a word to her either.

It was worrying.

What if the warlock was manipulating him?

He glanced at Clary.

The warlock could be manipulating all of them.

“Why do you trust the warlock with the location of the mortal cup and not the clave?” he blurted. Of course, she almost jumped out of her skin.

“The clave is compromised, they cannot be trusted.” Clary said with far more confidence than she had hitherto shown.

“Who told you that? The warlock?”

She frowned at him as if offended by his words or his tone. “My mother told me. Why do you think she kept the location of the mortal cup hidden?”

Jace laughed. “Wait, you’re saying that Valentine has spies in _the Clave_?”

“That’s exactly what’s she saying.”

Jace turned around to see Magnus lounging in the doorway to the kitchen. Alec stood behind him, his face carefully blank. Jace laughed.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Magnus said straightening up from the doorjamb and sauntering gracefully into the kitchen. He plucked two mugs from their hooks and poured coffee for himself and Alec. Interestingly, he seemed to know exactly how Alec took his coffee without asking.

_Yup. They definitely know each other more intimately than they are saying._

He glanced at Alec and tried to send ‘good for you, Casanova’ vibes through their parabatai bond. Alec didn’t seem to be receiving them.

“What proof do you have of that?” Alec asked much to Jace’s surprise.

“Proof? None that would be acceptable to shadowhunters,” Magnus said, spitting the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth, “But enough circumstantial evidence to know for sure. The Clave is not safe, and neither is Clary.”

“What’s your stake in all this?” Jace demanded.

Magnus smirked. “If Valentine gets his hands on the mortal cup, his target is the downworld. You think that doesn’t affect me?”

“All the more reason to work with the shadowhunters to catch him.”

“We don’t trust shadowhunters.” Magnus’ voice was cold and distant. It made it difficult to believe he had good intentions towards Alec. And Jace could not exactly say, “Oh yeah? If you hate shadowhunters so much, what are you doing with Alec?” because he wasn’t supposed to know that.

“Well then we’re at an impasse.” Jace said.

Magnus quirked an eyebrow, pursing his lips. “I suppose we are.”

Alec took a deep breath, looking between Magnus and Jace.

“What can we do to change that?” he asked.

Both Magnus and Jace turned to face him with surprise.

“Everyone in this room wants the same thing I think. To keep the cup safe from Valentine. So Magnus, Clary, do you think you can trust _us_?”


	31. Trust Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus wants to get this show on the road. Everyone else refuses to be left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been juggling three monster job assignments at the same time. I'm down to two so I will make time to update. Thank you for your understanding.

“Alexander…” Magnus took a step toward him, his face already apologetic. Alec couldn’t help but shake his head in negation of everything that apology implied.

“You trust me with your body but not to have your best interests at heart?” the words just… _threw_ themselves out of his mouth as his heart twisted with hurt. He hadn’t meant to out himself in this manner. The room seemed frozen in time, everyone stared at him as if aghast.

“That’s not…” Magnus said shaking his head, and then swallowing like he didn’t know any words.

Jace cleared his throat loudly as if to remind them that there were other people in the room. Alec hadn’t forgotten, he’d just kind of…dismissed them. He only had eyes for Magnus. This was supposed to be some kind of insignificant affair. He knew that in his head. But his heart had other plans apparently and needed to know if he was alone in this. He trusted Magnus with his _life_. Hell, he’d trusted him with his one big life altering secret. If Magnus could not trust him to do the right thing then what kind of…

Alec’s mind went blank as if he’d hit a literal wall.

 _Relationship? You don’t_ have _a relationship young sir. You have a situationship at_ best. _Since when do you expend so much emotion on a downworlder?_

Alec felt like there were two parts of him, polar opposites, unable to coexist at the same time. On one hand, there was everything he’d been taught to believe; about shadowhunters, about Downworlders, about himself…and then there was the way Magnus made him feel, how Magnus opened his eyes to the possibility of _more._

He felt like he might just break in two.

“Trust is a thing that is earned. And right now it has to be enough that I _want_ to trust you.” Magnus placed a gentle hand on his arm, golden brown eyes seeking his and Alec nodded jerkily, avoiding his eyes. It should be enough, but it wasn’t.

“Right. So.” Jace clapped his hands loudly, “Back to the mortal cup.”

“Yes…well, before we discuss the cup, please tell us what you know of Valentine’s current whereabouts.”

“Why? Are you planning on going to kill him?” Jace laughed at his own joke but Magnus simply looked at him as if that was exactly what he intended to do. Jace stopped laughing abruptly. “You can’t be serious.”

“As a heart attack. Despite the mystique around his name, he is nothing but another shadowhunter. He can be killed.”

Jace merely stared open mouthed at him.

Alec stepped forward. “If you’re going to kill Valentine, I’m coming with you.”

Magnus snorted. “Forgive me, Alexander, as I am sure you’re an accomplished shadowhunter. But I am an eight hundred year old warlock. I do _not_ need your help.”

Alec’s chin rose in defiance. “Well then, I guess you’ll have to find Valentine for yourself.”

Magnus narrowed his eyes at Alec. “If Valentine isn’t dead you don’t get the mortal cup.”

“And then nobody is safe. So what will it be Magnus? Do I come with, or not?”

Magnus made a sound of frustration. And Alec smiled.

“Well…if Alec’s coming, then so am I.” Jace declared.

Clary got to her feet. “I’m coming too.”

Magnus clenched his jaw.


	32. Can't Live With Them, Can't Leave Them Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So? Where is Valentine?

Magnus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his cat eyes were showing. “So where is he?” Magnus ignored Alec’s gasp at the sight of his eyes.

“Where is who?” Jace looked sincerely puzzled.

Magnus feared he might chip his teeth with how hard he was clenching his jaw. “ _Valentine._ ”

Jace shook his head. “All the intel on Valentine is on a special server in the Institute only accessible from the Head of Institute’s account. We only know what she chooses to share with us.”

“Can you get into her account.”

“No-”

“Yes-”

Jace and Alec both spoke at once. Then looked at each other in surprise.

“You can get in Maryse’s account?” Jace asked Alec in surprise.

“Well…yeah.”

“How?”

Alec looked around at them all, blushing with embarrassment. “I’ve known her password since I was fifteen.”

“ _She told you_?” Jace looked like he was genuinely about to shit his pants.

“No.” Alec turned away, rubbing the back of his neck as he admitted. “I just watched her when she was signing in.”

Jace looked as if someone had told him that Santa spent his time off working as a stripper in Vegas. Magnus smiled proudly at Alec. “We might make a rapscallion of you yet.”

Alec just frowned at him.

***

Alec didn’t see what the big deal was. It wasn’t like he had some nefarious reason for sussing out his mother’s password. It was just instinct. An in case of emergency reflex. He hadn’t meant to do anything with it.

Well, except for how here he was, ready to do something with it.

Clary took a deep breath. “Okay then, how about we see what dirt the institute has on my father?”

 _“Your father!?!”_ Alec and Jace spoke at the same time.

Clary paled, which was quite a feat considering she was already milk white. “I…”

Magnus stepped in between Clary and the parabatai. “Are we going to have a problem, boys?” his eyes narrowed at them and Alec’s pants became quite tight as they tried to contain his reaction to all this alpha maleness before him. If he had been asked before this, Alec would have said that he was attracted to the more outspoken, loud, rebellious, type who was nevertheless very good at taking orders. Now he was beginning to think that a quieter, strong, secure in his masculinity enough to be himself, forceful type was absolutely what did it for him. His body hastened to agree enthusiastically. In fact, it’s agreement was about to get embarrassingly obvious.

“N-no problem.” Alec said without any real awareness of the words coming out of his mouth. He would have said the sky was green if Magnus demanded it. He tried to shake himself out of whatever trance Magnus had put him under but his magic was apparently _very_ effective.

“Good, because we do not have time for your bigoted hang ups right now. Alec, can you access Maryse’s account from here?”

“Uh….yeah.” he turned away from Magnus’ magnificence and pulled out his phone. “My phone is connected to the Institute server. But if my mother is already logged on, she’ll know that there has been a security breach.”

“Hmm. Is there a way we can check whether she’s online?”

Alec shook his head. “The best thing to do is to access her account from her computer, while being in custody of her phone.”

Magnus sighed, shaking his head. “That will not be easy to manage.”

“But we can do it right?” Clary got to her feet and went to put a hand on Magnus arm, squeezing it. “I mean if we work together, we can make sure we have the phone and distract your mother enough to get to her computer.”

Alec wondered when Clary’s balls had dropped. And actively did not frown at how close she was standing to Magnus. “We need a plan.”

Magnus smiled. “and I think I have one. Come, let’s have a drink and discuss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read an interesting post on tumblr complaining that only 20% of people who read fics leave comments or kudos. In my mind, I thought that was a pretty good percentage because I also write original fiction and I'm lucky if one in a hundred people who read my books leave reviews. What do you think? Are y'all some ungrateful brats or are writers expecting too much?   
> I, personally appreciate every comment and kudos I get. Even when I don't answer because my time is limited; I can write an update or answer comments - which would you prefer?


	33. Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec was frozen, too many signals clamoring for attention in his brain. Should he stare at Magnus’ golden eyes or lick his lips at the nearness of Magnus’ mouth, maybe cream his pants at the warmth of the hand on his neck, while Magnus’ voice threatened casual and deadly violence in a soft, seductive, caressing baritone? 
> 
> I managed to steal a minute for Malec to Malec

Jace and Alec were  parabatai , they fought very much in sync. But Jace and Isabelle were siblings and they knew how to tag team. And because of the years of trust built between them, all Jace had to say to her was, “We need to get mom’s phone off her without her noticing ,”  for her to be on board with the plan. 

“I’ll just get into a fight with her while you pick pocket her.”

“Okay yes but it has to be away from her office.”

Isabelle narrowed her eyes. “Fine but after this, you’re telling me everything.”

“Yeah, of course.” Jace even looked her in the eyes. Isabelle was  _ still _  skeptical but resolved to just hound him until he did tell her everything they were up to. She hadn’t missed the fact that they had been  portaled  to the institute by _  Magnus Bane,  _ who seemed really chummy with Alec’s alleged fiancée.

It was all rather strange.

“Mother! Mother!” she caught sight of her mother striding purposefully toward her office from the facilities and hastened to intercept her. “Mother!”

Maryse stopped, already irritated and turned toward Isabelle. “What?”

Isabelle took a deep breath and launched into her pet peeve; Maryse’ treatment of Alec. “I can’t believe you got Alec a  fiancee  without telling him. What were you thinking?”

Maryse’ face started out cold now it was downright forbidding. “I do not see what business is that of yours.”

“Alec is my brother. His business is my business!”

Jace appeared out of nowhere. “Izzy?” he pretended to try and come between them but Isabelle saw his hand slip into Maryse’ pocket and out again, fast as a thought. “I’m sure mom has good reasons for what she’s doing.”   
Maryse turned to Jace with a smile. “Thank you Jace. I can always rely on you to see sense.”

Jace gave her a distracted smile, trying to look at both of them as well as behind him to the corridor that led to the office of the Head of Institute. For some reason, they were trying to keep Maryse out of there. 

“Mother!” Isabelle took a breath to launch into a new argument when Maryse’ face changed into one of mixed pain and horror and she hurried off without a word, in the direction she had come from.

***

“I just gave her a bit of an upset stomach that should keep her sitting on the loo for the whole day.” Magnus twirled a pencil lazily between his fingers as he leaned against Maryse’ desk.

Alec manfully repressed a snort of laughter as he keyed in the password to her computer. He couldn’t believe Magnus had done that...and he was laughing about it. If Alec needed any proof that he had lost his mind, this was it.

“Don’t worry, she won’t die. Might get seriously dehydrated....” Magnus mused as he lifted a hand, and twirled it as he was wont to. A bottle of water appeared on the desk. “I got the same brand as you keep in your kitchens.”

Alec looked up. “Don’t you think she’ll wonder how a bottle of water magically found its way to her desk?”

“You’re right.” Magnus vanished the water. “Best she  walk  there and get it herself.”

Alec put his head on his knuckles, smiling up at Magnus. The warlock narrowed his eyes at Alec. “What?”

“You’re kind.”

Magnus looked away, nose in the air, feigning offence. “I am most definitely...not.”

Alec smiled up at him, his heart in his eyes. “Too late Magnus. Caught you.”

Magnus reached forward, wrapping his hand around Alec’s neck, his face right in Alec’s; nose to nose, forehead to forehead; cat eyes staring intently into hazel. “If you tell a soul, I shall be forced to kill you in horrible, painful ways.”

Alec was frozen, too many signals clamoring for attention in his brain. Should he stare at Magnus’ golden eyes or lick his lips at the nearness of Magnus’ mouth, maybe cream his pants at the warmth of the hand on his neck, while Magnus’ voice threatened casual and deadly violence in a soft, seductive, caressing baritone? 

_ I am just a man! I’m not built for this. _

The thought flashed across his mind even as Magnus’ mouth closed the distance between them, biting his lower lip before letting his tongue explore the possibility of entrance into Alec’s mouth. Alec’s lip dropped open without consulting his brain, letting Magnus in. The warlock did not hesitate to plunder and pillage, ransack and ravage, despoil and devastate...lay waste to Alec’s soul.

_ I have sold my soul to a half demon and I can’t even care. _

Alec opened his eyes, only realizing then that they were closed. Magnus had moved away from him, just a few inches but it was really too far. Alec swallowed.

Magnus’ eyes were back to warm, dark brown and studying him with seeming impassivity. “We should get that information before your mother gets back.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like you HAVE to leave kudos and comments. That wasn't my intention. I just saw something interesting and wanted to know what other fanfic readers and writers thought. NO! stop please. You don't have to hit that kudos button or write a comment. I'm good, I promise. I'm sorry. Please just read and be happy. okay?  
> Unless you truly have something you'd like to say.  
> Thank you for all the kudos and comments. I read them all whether I answer or not.


	34. Not So Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heists go much more smoothly in the movies...

Their eyes flicked back and forth, back and forth, following the copy icon as it’s green color ebbed and flowed. Alec sat in his mother’s chair while Magnus leaned against the desk.

“Your mother’s computer sure is slow. This never happens in the movies.”

Alexander snorted. “Well she hasn’t updated since 2007.”

Magnus flicked his eyes to Alec before continuing to watch the copying. “Why not?”

Alec shrugged. “Because it works? Because she likes this machine?”

“Typical Gen Y. Set in their ways.”

Alec leaned back and folded his arms, regarding Magnus with all the irony his eyebrows could manage. “Seriously? Says the centuries old warlock?”

Magnus lifted his chin, looking at Alexander with all the drama of a stage. “What? I reinvent myself with every age. I’m practically a centennial.”

Alec was surprised when he barked a laugh, immediately covering his mouth as if that might disguise the sound. Magnus grinned back at him. The computer made a beeping sound and they turned as one to see a message flashing on the screen.

The disk space was full. The file needed 4 more gb.

Magnus and Alec stared at the screen and then each other. “How big was your flash drive?”

“2gb.”

“Well…this never happens in movies either. The disc space is always enough!”

Alec leaned down to dig in his mother’s drawer. “There has to be another flash around here.”

“Never you mind. I’ll just teleport the whole computer to my apartment.”

Alec froze, “You don’t think my mother might notice that?”

“I’ll duplicate it first of course.”

“Y-you can do that? Your magic works on technology?”

Magnus grinned. “Ah Alec, you read Harry Potter! That’s your _real_ big secret isn’t it?”

Alec mumbled under his breath, blushing furiously as he turned away.

Magnus leaned in, pinching Alec’s cheeks and then kissing them noisily. “Aww, don’t be shy. You’re my beautiful little rebel.”

“Am not beautiful, little or a rebel… Isabelle came home one day with the Sorcerer’s Stone and asked me to read it to her. It just…snowballed from there.”

Magnus leaned down and smushed their lips together fiercely. “God it makes me hot to think of you all responsible big brother breaking the rules for your adorable baby sister.”

Alec rosily glowed. “Don’t let her hear you call her a baby.”

Magnus looked around dramatically. “Unless she’s invisible, I don’t think she’s here,” he whispered dramatically.

Alec closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “So uh…we should get on with the duplicating and the teleporting.”  
“Yes, you’re right.”

He waved his hand and there was a pop and a purple flash of light. Alec jumped and his eyes widened when he realized the computer was still in front of him. “Did it not work?”

Magnus smirked. “Of course it did. This is the duplicate.”

Alec stared at the identical looking screen. “Oh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small Friday chapter to celebrate completion of part B's of both my assignments. Now I'm off to bed. Good night.


	35. Fray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where's valentine? that is the question.

Clary was pacing outside the office, keeping watch for Maryse. Magnus had imbued her with an invisibility spell ostensibly because she would be able to evade Maryse’s eye - even if she appeared suddenly - and sound a warning.

But Clary knew that the real reason she was invisible was that Magnus didn’t trust her ability to bluff her way through such a meeting. She didn’t even blame him because _she_ didn’t trust her ability to bluff her way out of a wet paper bag.

Maryse had such piercing eyes and such a forbidding demeanor…so different from her own mother. She wasn't ashamed to admit that the Lightwood Matriarch terrified her.

And Clary was meant to marry her son? Who was just as forbidding as his mother? Who looked at her as if she was a dirty chewing gum stuck on his well-shined shoe?

Who was clearly carrying a planet-sized torch for Magnus Bane?

How Sway?

She just wanted to…disappear. Had thought about running to her friend Simon’s house and hiding out in his basement but…what if she brought the shadowhunters down on the Lewises? She would not be able to live with herself if that happened. As far as they knew, she and her mother were a couple of artifact-loving hippies, hold the patchouli.

It wasn’t even that far off from the truth. Clary loved a flowery flowing skirt if she wasn’t camped out in jeans and t-shirts. She didn’t wear them much because well…thin as a rail and flowing skirts didn’t really go together. She _did_ have the long flowing red hair down though.

Another option she had been contemplating was going to her father. Telling him who she was and joining him. She could feed Magnus all the information about what he was up to. Her father would unknowingly protect her from the Clave’s shenanigans, and she could bring him down from the inside.

Magnus _did not_ like that plan.

But if she went off on her own, and left him a note or something…he would have no choice but to go along. All she needed was a location. As soon as she had that, she would go.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Jace approaching. Right on cue, her stomach gave a little twist, because, she assumed, he would one day kill her. His ridiculous hair managed to stay out of his eyes somehow. Clary wondered if he gelled it every day or maybe there was a rune for that?

He came to a stop a few feet away eyes darting hither and thither.

“Clary?”

“I’m here.” Her voice was very steady. She gave herself a virtual high five for that.

“Any problems?”

“None so far.”

He wasn’t even looking her way. His eyes were on the door in front of him and then the hallway behind him. I mean…she knew she was invisible, but he had an approximate bearing for where she was standing. He could at least try to stand still and make eye contact in her general direction.

“Right. Well I don’t think we have a lot of time, so we should go.”

“Who are you talking to?”

Clary leaned to the side to see around Jace. A girl stood there, the very antithesis of Clary. She was dark haired, curvy and confident. Her six-inch heels looked like she might have used them to stab a bitch on occasion. Her resemblance to Alec was unmistakable.

 _Another Lightwood_. _Damn girl._

Clary was suddenly grateful for the invisibility spell because it meant she could stare to her heart’s content. Her eyes fell to the goddess’ breasts, and that made her glad she was invisible for whole nother reason…this was definitely perving. She was no better than the patriarchy at this point. She blinked, straightening up in time to tune in to Jace stumbling over his answer.

He called the goddess Isabelle.

Clary had a sneaking suspicion they might have met before, but she had been too preoccupied with her many problems and suffering under the burden of grief to really take notice if they had.

Which was a pity because Isabelle Lightwood could add sunshine to the dullest day.

“Jace, I know you and Alec are up to something. Now tell me.”

Clary shivered at her forcefulness. Jace sighed. “Come on, let’s go.” He grabbed Isabelle’s hand and pulled her into Maryse’ office. Clary trailed behind them, berating herself because her eyes lingered on Isabelle’s ass. It was swaying brazenly from side to side as she tried to keep up with Jace’s long strides, as he dragged her forward into the office.

“Alec! Magnus! What are-?”

“Did you get what we need?”

Both Jace and Isabelle spoke at once.

“Yes.” Alec said.

“Then let’s go.”

Magnus clapped his hands, creating a portal and then gestured for them to precede him. Jace went first, still holding on to Isabelle, and then Clary. Magnus and Alec stepped in together.

They all landed in Magnus’ office where his desk had somehow acquired a computer in the short time they’d been gone.

Magnus clapped his hands together to quiet Jace and Isabelle who were squabbling. Clary wondered if they were together together. She sighed.

It would be just her luck if they were.

Magnus pointed at her, and she became visible causing Isabelle to scream; hopefully not in revulsion.

He then gestured to the computer. “It’s time to find out where Valentine is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna just have them return to the apartment, but Fray tapped my shoulder and said, "I have some thoughts."


	36. Subterfuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pirates, jealousy and sex

“Mogadishu? Well, that’s a plot twist.”

“Not _quite_ Mogadishu, just their shores.” Izzy looked up at Alec who was leaning over her as they read the file.

“He’s hanging out with pirates? Why?” Jace came to stand next to Alec, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

“Because their leader is a greater demon.” Magnus whirled around from his drinks cart, cocktail glass in hand.

“What?” the three Lightwoods said in perfect sync.

“We haven’t heard of the presence of any greater demon on earth,” Alec took a step toward Magnus.

“Well, she doesn’t advertise much.” Magnus tasted his drink, nodded in approval and took a larger sip.

“She?” Izzy raised an eyebrow.

“Daegon, one of the Princes of Hell.” Magnus put his glass down and came to join them at the desk.

“And she runs Somali pirates because…?” Alec leaned into Magnus’ space, perhaps a little closer than strictly necessary.

“According to rumor and conjecture, she’s been searching for something along the coral reef and she aims to keep as many people as possible away from those waters while she does it.”

“How has nobody tried to stop her?” Jace asked.

“Well your fellow shadowhunters can probably answer that better than me but as far as I know, nobody has an idea of precisely where she is. She avoids any contact with mundane or the shadow-world aside from her pirates and so has managed to keep a low profile.”

“Do you think mom knows about this?” Izzy asked Alec and Jace. She had taken to conspiring quite smoothly much to Alec and Jace’s unsurprised surprise. She and Magnus had already bonded over jewelry. Alec was continually bemused by it all. He shook his head in negation. “There’s no way she would not at least have contacted the Mombasa Institute about it.”

“Are we sure she hasn’t?”

Alec leaned over her in the chair, “Let’s have a look shall we?”

They ploughed through her emails but there was no mention of a greater demon, Somali pirates or coral reefs.

“Maybe she sent a fire message.” Jace suggested.

Alec shook his head at once. “No. For a Prince of Hell? That is more of an official chain of command territory.”

Magnus sighed, wandering away from them. “If you guys are through with harvesting information, I think we can call it a day. I would like a long hot soak in a tub and a good night’s sleep if you don’t mind.”

The three Lightwoods straightened up. Alec looked at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight. “Oh yeah of course Magnus. We should get back to the Institute before they start wondering where we are.” He looked over at Clary, hunched over in her chair and then back at Magnus. “Is she…er?”

Magnus looked over at Clary who had been paying no attention to their conversation. “She’s quite safe here with me.” He said.

Alec looked between the warlock and Clary, eyes narrowed. “Mother wouldn’t want us to leave her alone here.” He turned to Jace and Izzy, “You guys go. I’ll stay here with the little girl.”

Jace and Izzy exchanged loaded glances. “Okay,” they said at the same time.

 “I’ll make you a portal back to the Institute.”

***

Magnus, Alec and Clary were silent after Jace and Izzy left, no one made eye contact or moved – it was a difficult time.

Clary uncurled herself from the chair and got to her feet. “Uh…I’ll just er, go to bed.”

Magnus nodded. “Goodnight Biscuit.”

“Good night Magnus…” she hesitated, flicking a glance from beneath her lashes at Alec, “Goodnight A-Alec.”

“Goodnight.”

Alec and Magnus watched her walk quickly to the guest room and if anything, the awkward silence intensified. With synchronous deep breaths they turned to each other.

“I’m afraid I only have one guest room and the couch is not very comfortable to sleep on…” Magnus’ eyes trailed down Alec’s frame, “especially for one as tall as you.”

“What do you propose we do?” Alec’s voice and eyes were soft and serious, intent upon Magnus.

“Well…I suppose I could share my bed with you if you like. I am generous and a good host after all.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

Magnus waved a hand airily, “Think nothing of it. Follow me.”

He stepped gracefully past Alec, sashaying only the slightest bit as he led the way to his bedroom, Alec following behind.

***

“Left side or right?”

“I…don’t have a preference.”

Magnus shrugged, “I expect we’ll end up somewhere in the middle anyway.”

“I expect so.”

Magnus sat on the bed, legs crossed, eyes on Alec. “Why did you really stay, Alexander?”

Alec shrugged, lowering himself onto the bed next to Magnus. “Someone needs to keep an eye on her.”

“Clary’s not going anywhere.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Uh, yes. I do.”

“Okay well…” Alec shook his head, “You don’t know my-”

“I’m glad you stayed, if that makes a difference. I just want us to be honest with each other.”

Alec flicked a glance at him. “Honest?” he huffed a laugh. “Sometimes I think I forgot what that means long ago.”

Magnus leaned forward, his hand gentle against the back of Alec’s shoulder, lips soft as they planted they most fleeting of kisses to the underside of Alec’s jaw. He shivered in reaction anyway. “Well, don’t you think it’s time to remember?”

Alec heaved a deep breath, closing his eyes. “I didn’t want to leave you alone with her. You and her…you…seem very close. I just…” he shrugged, “I don’t know. I don’t think I could have left if wild horses were dragging me away.”

Magnus drew in a breath, hand to his heart. “Well…talk about cold turkey. Usually, when people are trying out something new, they do it in tiny increments. Not you though. Not _my_ Alexander. Oh no, you just go from zero to a hundred right out the gate.”

Alec turned his head, brow furrowed, to stare at Magnus in puzzlement. “What are you talking about?”

“Being honest.”

“Oh…”

They gazed into each other’s eyes. Alexander opened his mouth to say something but then closed it without uttering a word. Magnus’ eyes dropped to Alec’s mouth and his tongue darted out, licking his lips. Suddenly Alec’s mouth was covering his and nobody knew which of them had moved. They let the kiss intensify as it would, hands still loose, touching each other but not holding on, or pulling each other closer.

Slow. Tentative. Unsure.

Tongues touched, said hello, how are you doing, mmm, you taste good, more, and more, God please more, it’s not enough…please.

Hands were grabbing and pulling, clothes haphazardly thrown about, clutching hard enough to bruise.

Alec was in the air and then falling, landing, naked, against Magnus pillows. No time to find out if the pillows were as soft as luxuriant as they looked. Magnus was already on him like a wild animal, hand wrapped around cock, other raking through his hair. He felt each individual finger like a brand. He had no idea if he should…touch too? He wanted to, the angel knew he did. But…his mind was scrambled, Magnus’ hands were talented. Way more talented than Alec's. Even when he was jerking off,  he could not work such sensation out of his own dick.

All he could do at this time was try to avoid shaking into a million pieces and shorting out forever.

“Magnus,” the shout left his lips without his permission. He didn't understand what this was.  “I-I-I can’t. Its too much. Too…much.” His entire body jerked even as his dick did and they were bathed in his spend, so fast, head still whirling too hard for him to be embarrassed.

There was no time for that anyway for Magnus was spinning him around like a paper doll, spreading him wide and ready. He could feel his dick hardening already, making up for all that lost time. Soft, warm, wet…too soft for a finger…something in his…hole. Something alive, questing, finding.

“Angel!” his fist hit the pillow as electricity zinged through his body and it was all he could to remain on his knees. “Please please please please please please.”

The soft thing went away. “No need to beg Alexander. I intend to give you everything you want.” Magnus' voice was low and gravelly. Alec was coming again before he could think one thought.

The soft thing was back in his hole and Alec suspected that it might be Magnus’ _tongue!_

_Dear sweet Angel save me._

Flick of a lid, liquid pouring. Lube and fingers and the cold hard edge of a ring. Magnus really should have taken those off before-”Ahhhhhh!” the scream took them both by surprise.

“Darling, much as I’m enjoying the sounds you’re making, remember that Clary is trying to sleep.”

“Oh ah…sorry.”

“No need to apologize darling.” A swift thrust with his finger and a zing of something that caused Alec to collapse forward, all his strings cut.

“Please,” he whispered.

Magnus’ dick was inching into him, slow and careful. Alec was so loose already that it really would not have made a difference if he slammed into him. There was nothing lef- “Ooohhhhhh.”

His back arched, thrusting backward to get more of Magnus in him, faster, _needing._

“Oh yes…Alexander.” Magnus groaned, thrusting with ever-increasing urgency, hips jerking spasmodically as if he was having a fit.

“Magnus, need you to come inside me.” It was barely a whisper but from Magnus reaction, he might as well have shouted.

“Alexander!” he jerked forward, coating Alec’s insides with his come even as his hands dug grooves in Alec’s pelvis. It felt like the best thing that had ever happened to Alec.

They flopped onto the bed, still joined, breathing hard, fast, and in sync.

“We probably shouldn’t wait so long to do that again.” Magnus breathed.

Alec simply huffed a laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a tattoo, so I feel like a brand new perrrsssooon.  
> Also damn Harry Shum Jr. was it necessary to kill us like that?


	37. Fenty Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning after shenanigans

Something was tickling his nose. Alec wondered how an insect had gotten into his room. He reached out to swat it, and it flew away, only to come back. Wrinkling his nose, he sneezed while trying to remain asleep. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

The sound of giggling had him blinking awake, looking around at a very unfamiliar room. He turned to see Magnus holding a feather.

“Wakey wakey sleepy head. We have a long way to go.”

Alec frowned, rubbing his eyes. “Where are we going?”

“Mogadishu of course. Where do you think?”

Alec laughed. “Are you joking? We don’t even know where exactly he is!”

“We know he’s in Mogadishu.”  
“We have an unconfirmed sighting.”

“Well, I know one way we can find out for sure.”

“What?”

“Summon the demon.”

“ _What?!?_ Have you lost your mind? _”_

“I don’t think so. Why?” Magnus whirled on his heel, and sashayed to his dressing table where he sat down, picked up a tube emblazoned with Fenty Beauty™ on the side and containing a golden shimmery liquid. He squirted a bit of it on a kabuki brush and proceeded to rub it on his shoulders.

His naked, muscled, broad, shapely shoulders.

Alec blinked.

Magnus rubbed the body lava languidly across his collarbone, humming softly.

“What is that?”

“Oh just something to make me feel like I’m living my best life. Could you get my back for me?” Magnus held out the kabuki brush. Alec slowly got out of bed, unsure what was expected of him. he took the brush slowly from Magnus’ hands and held it between thumb and forefinger. Alec picked up the bottle and handed it to him too.

“Er…what do I do with this?”

“Squirt some on the brush and then rub it in gently undulating circles on my back.”

Alec hesitated, wanting to tell Magnus that no, he was a warrior not a make up artist. But…the carte blanche to touch Magnus’ back…it was too much to resist. He squirted a good sized blob onto the brush and then began to rub gently, resting his other hand gently upon Magnus’ shoulder blade, enjoying the heat coming off him, the feel of his soft skin beneath his hands. If he wasn’t careful he might come just from touching Magnus’ back. He felt quite pathetic but also more alive than he’d ever felt in his life.

He straightened up. “There you go.”

Magnus turned to him with a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and made his gaze bright like everything after the first cup of coffee in the morning. “Thank you Alexander.” Magnus got to his feet and fitted his lips to Alec’s, nipping at his bottom lip as his hands squeezed Alec’s arms, the feel of his rings cold on his naked flesh.

Alec stiffened, realizing he was naked.

Magnus pulled away with a smile. “Now get dressed and let us go summon a demon.”

With another smile, he walked out of the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was mostly just me having fun because I have work writer's block.  
> Enjoy?


	38. Interlude After Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary, Magnus and Alec sort out a dynamic

Magnus was already drawing a pentagram using a curious black powder by the time Alec found his clothes, had himself a whore’s bath and put them on. Clary stood to the side, arms crossed, nervously biting her lip. Magnus was still shirtless.

“What’s that you’re using? Gun powder or black pepper?” Alec laughed nervously at his own ‘joke’.

“Goofer dust,” Magnus replied as he finished the circle.

“Hmm, that’s a new one.”

Magnus threw a grin at him. “Don’t worry your pretty head about it.”

Alec rolled his eyes, shifting from foot to foot. “Magnus what if she escapes from the circle? She _is_ a Prince of Hell.”

“Hence the goofer dust. Keeps all demonic energy out. Or in this case, in.”

“Oh.”

“Now be a good boy and get me some coffee.” Magnus straightened up to fix Alec with a stare. “You _do_ know how to make coffee?”

Alec merely snorted and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

“So you and Alec huh?” he heard Clary say in a wry voice as soon as he was out of sight.

“There is no me and Alec,” Magnus replied rather shortly. Alec frowned.

“Oh yes?” Clary’s tone was teasing, “Then how come there’s a handprint in your Trophy Wife™ huh?”

Magnus snorted. “Alec was just helping me apply it.”

“Since when do you need help?”

“Since mind your business o’clock.”

Clary laughed.

Outright laughed.

With amusement and everything.

Alec’s frown deepened. He’d gotten used to thinking of Clary as some sort of shrinking violet with no independent thought. But the girl who laughed in there was not only way too comfortable teasing Magnus but also sounded quite worldly and cynical.

Kind of like Alec.

This was…disconcerting.

There was a knock on the front door even as he found the coffeemaker and turned it on.

“Clary could you get that?” he heard Magnus say.

“Sure Mags.”

_Mags? Who_ was _this girl?_

Jace’s deep voice interspersed with his sister’s slightly more alto one reminded him that there was more here at stake than Clary’s real personality or Magnus’ relationship with her. He stiffened, striding to the corridor to greet his relatives, trying to look as professional as possible.

“Hi.” He said from behind Clary who seemed to be filling them in on Magnus’ demon summoning plans.

Izzy glanced at him and then smiled wide. She walked up to him, lifted her finger and brushed at his neck. “Hmm, not glitter. What’s the name of this new lotion you’re using?”

He slapped a hand to his neck, eyes wide. “What? What do you mean?”

“She means your neck is glimmering,” Jace sounded way too amused for – Alec glanced at the clock – eight thirty in the morning. He debated about whether to act like he had no clue what they were talking about or fess up.

“Magnus must have lent him some makeup,” Clary spoke up, the very devil in her eyes and Alec put her officially on his Persons of Interest list.

“He did no such thing,” he ground out even as Jace and Izzy laughed, looking at Clary in delighted surprise as if they just might have discovered a long-lost relative.

Magnus chose that moment to stroll into the room. “Ah, we’re a full house I believe. Come then, shadowhunters. It’s time to see what this demon has to say for herself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read your comments even if I don't reply. Time constraints got me like :/  
> Anyway, so I cannot promise longer chapters or more frequent ones. I can only promise to do my best to update as much as I can.  
> If you'd like to read some original fiction of mine, I am running a promo until 4th April where this book is free. Go download it, and don't forget to review once you're done. [In the Shadow of the Styx](%E2%80%9Dbit.ly/ISOSpage%E2%80%9D)


	39. Conversation with a Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daegon is interrogated.

Daegon appeared in a squat, one hand stroking the huge blunt she was smoking, while the other was on the ground as if she had been sorting something before being unceremoniously summoned. She got to her feet, looking around at them all, clearly pissed. 

“No,” she said. 

Magnus lifted an eyebrow, the slightest of smiles on his face. “We haven’t asked you for anything.” 

“Whatever it is, no.” 

“What if, we offered to pay you?” Magnus’ voice was smooth as silk. Alec shifted on his feet, hand on his bow, ready for anything. 

Daegon's eyes lit up with derision. “What could you have that I could possibly want?” 

“Daegon, you’re clearly searching for something along the East African Coast. I have a certain artifact that can lead you to your heart’s desire.” 

The demon threw back her head and howled with glee. “What? You’re telling me Jack Sparrow’s compass is real or some shit?” 

Magnus let his eyes share her amusement. “Not exactly, this is actually a spell of my own invention but it works quite similarly.” 

She sobered, her expression morphing into a death stare that lasted quite a while. In the room was pin-drop silence. “Prove it,” she said at last. 

Magnus nodded. “Alright. He held his hand out, palm up and suddenly there appeared upon it a small pocket watch. It clicked open, the mechanism whirring loudly before a picture appeared in the lid of the case. A picture of the mortal cup, swirling in a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors, held suspended in a vortex of silvery light. Daegon’s eyes widened. “How?” 

Magnus tutted. “Can’t expect me to give up all my secrets, can you? Your turn.” 

Daegon narrowed her eyes at him. “What is it you want from me?” 

“The location of Valentine Morgenstern.” 

Her eyes narrowed even further. “And what makes you think I would know that?” 

“He’s been seen with your pirates.” 

Daegon shrugged. “And so? They are not my children to be told who they can or cannot speak to.” 

“Perhaps. But there are no coincidences with Valentine. He is there because he is seeking something from you or is finding you useful in some way. Perhaps the arrangement is reciprocal. The question is, are you loyal enough to him to forego getting a tool that will help you find what you seek?” 

Daegon looked away. “I know of Valentine’s ultimate plan. He would kill us all if he could. My cooperation with him was only in an attempt to slow him down. Unlike my brothers, I do not like to kill unless I have to.” 

“We have no such scruples with Valentine. Tell us where to find him.” 

Daegon shook her head. “Not that easy. He is no fool. He is surrounded by Seelies, warlocks, and wards. He will see you coming before you set foot on the continent.” 

“Where is he?” 

“The Gulf of Aden.” 

“What is he doing?” 

“As I said, he is gathering an army.” 

“For what purpose?” 

“Oh, he has grand plans, to be sure. But he does not share them with me. According to him, I am nothing but a filthy demon, scrabbling in the dirt and validating his opinions of all demon-blooded creatures.” 

Alec narrowed his eyes at her. “And  _what_  is it that you’re looking for really?” 

Daegon looked him up and down. “A lost treasure that belonged to my father. I lost it long ago, and he will not let me go home without it.” 

Alec and Daegon continued to eyeball each other, each reluctant to be the first to break eye contact. 

Magnus sighed bigly, drawing their eyes to him. “So, shall we make the exchange? Valentine’s exact location and how to get to him, for the pocket watch.” 

Daegon’s eyes drifted back to Alec. “Use your lover here; like most insecure men, Valentine is contemptuous of homosexuals. He will tend to overlook and underestimate him.” her eyes slid to Jace, “This one, he will expect; his light is brash and loud. His spirit cannot be quiet. He broadcasts his abilities for miles. You can use him as a decoy.” her eyes then went to Isabelle and she nodded. “Even more than homosexuals, he does not value women. This one is strong, she can weaken him.” lastly her eyes fell on Clary, “But it is you, oh Morgenstern seed, who can take him down, if only you dare.” 

She held out her hand and Magnus put the pocket watch in it. In return, a phone appeared in Magnus' hand, open to google maps. A red pin glowing like a beacon over the East African coast. Magnus smiled. “I see you keep up with technology.” 

Daegon shrugged. “Setting fire to maps is messy. This is much faster.” 

Magnus bowed. “We thank you for your help.” 

Daegon bowed as well. “Let me the fuck out of here already.” 

With a sweep of his hand, Magnus opened the pentagon and Daegon disappeared. 

*** 

Alec did not know how he felt about being so summarily outed. On one hand, everyone in the room kind of already knew, he guessed. On the other hand,...he felt a little violated. He didn’t know what irked him more – the label of ‘homosexual’ or the ‘lover’ comment. He felt as if his autonomy had been snatched from him. It was not so much that now Izzy and Jace knew a thing about him that he had been hiding his entire life...it was that he had not been the one to tell them.  

Now instead of paying attention to the planning, all he could hear was the echo of ‘the homosexual’ in his head. He looked up to see everyone but Magnus filing out of the room, studiously avoiding his eye. Perhaps he had been more overt about his upset than he had realized. 

Magnus closed the door behind him before coming to sit next to Alec. 

“Talk to me,” he said softly. 

Alec shook his head. “There is nothing to say.” 

Magnus sighed. “I can imagine that  _that_  was not how you wanted to come out.” 

“Ya think?” 

“I’m sorry.”   
Alec shrugged. “Why are _you_  sorry. You didn’t do anything.” 

“I am going to go out on a limb and bet that Izzy and Jace are not in the least shocked.” 

Alec snorted. “I hope that wasn’t meant to make me feel better.” 

“No,” Magnus said thoughtfully. “No, I suppose it wouldn't.” 

“All these years, all the effort to keep that part of me under wraps and clearly I was fooling no one. Not even a demon I’ve never met. What exactly was all that effort for?” 

Magnus simply leaned over and placed his head on Alec’s shoulder. “Well, I think that at that time in your life, you needed the pretense to feel safe in your environment. And maybe your family went along with it because they wanted you to feel safe too. But if you’re ready to step out of the safe zone, I think that they will be happy to support you.” 

“And you Magnus? Will you support me too?” 

Magnus lifted his head to look at Alec with raised eyebrows. “Are you kidding? I have the posters all made up already. They have glitter and look awesome. Say the word and I’m putting them on a billboard.” 

Alec laughed, his eyes brimming with affection. “I think that I could love you,” he blurted and Magnus’ eyes widened with shock. He blinked a few times before turning away. 

“Well okay then, you convinced me. We'll put up a billboard in Times Square tomorrow.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back. Again. Might stay a while.


	40. Reality Bytes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there are love declarations and then there's the aftermath.

Alec was feeling kind of embarrassed. He hadn’t meant to say that. He especially hadn’t meant to say that if Magnus did not feel the same. He did _not_ want to scare the warlock away.

Alec didn’t know when he had gone from a shadowhunter getting his rocks off with an anonymous downworlder nobody would ever care about to Alexander Lightwood, wanting to possess Magnus wholly and completely. If he was willing to face the truth, he might acknowledge that it had happened the first time they’d had sex but he was so used to lying to himself. So used to telling himself whatever falsehoods he needed to, to get through the day that realizing he had stumbled and fallen into a warlock, and could absolutely not get up, would take some getting used to.

A warlock.

And a shadowhunter.

How would that even work?

Warlocks weren’t even allowed in his home. No downworlder was. How did one date somebody who wasn’t allowed to set foot in one’s home town? According to the Clave guidelines, he could not even spend the night at the Institute. He could not have the wedding rune carved into his flesh. How were they supposed to live in harmo-

Wait.

Alec froze.

Had he just thought about carving a wedding rune into Magnus’ flesh?

How had this gone from “Am I in a relationship?” to “How can I even marry this man?”

“Alec, you need to calm down?” he murmured to himself.

“What? Did you say something?” Magnus leaned closer to him.

Alec shook his head slowly, face purpling. Magnus stared at him, with narrowed eyes, before getting to his feet and clapping his hands as if to call for attention. “Right well, we should go join the others. We can have breakfast and make a plan.”

Alec simply nodded again, dumbly, following the warlock out of the room.

***

“I can make pancakes!” Clary declared loudly, with a smile, as soon as she heard Magnus’ plan.

“I make a mean cup of coffee.” Jace offered much to Alec’s surprise.

“I can make oatmeal.” Izzy’s offer was met with deafening silence from her brothers and desperate cutting motions behind her back from Jace. Magnus hid a smile.

“Thank you Isabelle, that will be lovely.” He winked at Jace’s widened eyes and led them to the kitchen where he showed everyone where the ingredients were. Alec offered to butter the toast and Magnus declared he would poach some eggs.

They worked quietly and efficiently – achieving their various tasks seamlessly. If Magnus did some magical tweaking of Izzy’s oatmeal, she remained none the wiser for it and Jace gave him two thumbs up. After that he and Alec left to set the table, where the slightest bit of awkwardness did set in.

“Alexander, are you alright?” Magnus stood at the head of the table, a plate in his hand, watching Alec fiddle with forks.

“I’m fine.” Alec had not meant to be short but that was how it came out.

“Are you? You seem…upset.”

“Why would I be upset?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps you can tell me.”

Alec glanced up, before continuing to arrange forks with military precision. “It’s just…I told you how I feel about you and you didn’t say a word.”

Magnus’ face lit up. “Oh, is that it?”

Alec straightened up, resting his hand on the back of a chair so that he could properly glare at Magnus. “Well I’m glad my feelings amuse you at least.”

Magnus gave a small laugh. “Oh Alexander, forgive me. It has been…” his brow furrowed as he thought, “decades since I declared my feelings for anyone. I might be out of practice.”

Alec moved his head, eyebrows raised as if to say, ‘well then? Get on with it.’ Magnus sighed. “It’s not easy realizing that you might be in love with a _shadowhunter._ It’s kind of equivalent – in my world – of loving a member of the Gestapo.”

Alec’s frown deepened. “We have never-“  
Magnus waved his hand. “Save it Alexander. I’ve been alive a lot longer than you have. The things I have seen; you do not want to know.”

“Well I cannot speak for the past but-”

Magnus just gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks.

“In any case, we do not have to resolve any of this now. We have a villain to vanquish and then we can worry about our own petty little lives.”

Alec shrugged sulkily. “I don’t think they’re petty.”

Magnus came round the table to stand by him, looking up into his face and rubbing his arm. “You must forgive me Alexander. Sometimes I speak before thinking. Of course our lives are not unimportant. I just meant that…maybe now isn’t the time for declarations. Not until we know what the future holds.”

Alec turned to face him fully. “I can tell you what the future holds. Trouble. Prejudice. Discrimination. Hardship. Whether we get back the mortal cup or not.”

Magnus just blinked at him, looking unsurprised. Then he nodded his head. “Exactly Alexander. You really have to think whether it’s worth it. Whether _I’m_ worth it.”

Alec’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something but just then, their companions entered the room, carrying breakfast.

“We prepared a feast!” Izzy declared, “Dig in.”

They ate in companionable silence for a while, some more silent than others. Magnus put himself out to be a good host, and Izzy made sure to be the best guest by making jokes and filling in awkward silences. She and Jace tag teamed each other, asking Clary questions and getting to know her. Gradually she relaxed as well and gave as good as she got. If Alec didn’t know better he would have said his brother and sister were competing for Clary’s attention.

 _Such cruel irony. Mother should have set her up with any one of_ them. He thought resentfully.

Suddenly he let his fork drop to his plate and got to his feet. Everybody stopped talking.

“I have something I’d like to say.” He looked around at them all, eyes lingering on Magnus who seemed to be looking back with perfect understanding. “I’m gay.”

The earth did not split open and swallow him up.

“Well, duh.” Izzy said.

“What she said.” Jace agreed.

“I haven’t known you that long but I know _that_ about you.” Clary had the nerve to chime in.

Magnus said nothing.

“I’m also in love with Magnus Bane.” He continued.

That led to pin drop silence. Izzy’s mouth was open and Jace was staring with narrowed eyes at Magnus. Clary was smiling into her oatmeal.

Magnus inhaled sharply.

Then he stood up as well.

“Alexander, I’m…flattered. But we have a thing to plan and _now is not the time_.”

“Yeah, you said that already.”

“Well then?”

“It’s never gonna be the right time Magnus.”

“How do _you_ feel about Alec, Magnus?” Clary cut in, spooning her oatmeal with a huge grin on her face as if all of this was a joke.

Magnus hissed. “As a matter of fact, Alexander’s feelings are returned so can we get back to planning the death of Valentine Morgenstern?” he ground out.

Alec sat down, a slight smile on his face. “Sure we can. Where do we start?”


	41. Plots and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A way forward is decided on.

“We need help. Much as I’m sure you’re all very capable soldiers, Valentine is surrounded by hardened warriors. We might have to get through them to get to him. Three shadowhunters, and a fledgling is not enough back up; even for one of the most powerful warlocks in the land.”

Alec snorted. “Pretty modest too.”

That made Magnus smirk. “I simply tell it like it is.”

Izzy leaned forward to get Magnus’ attention away from Alec. “So what do you suggest? The Institute is hardly going to support our mission.”

Magnus took a deep breath, looking to Alec. “You made some friends at the Mombasa Institute did you not? They’re the closest to Mogadishu. Do you think they would provide you with some back up?”

Alec shrugged. “I could ask.”

“Good. I too, know a few warlocks along the coast, some who are very old. They might have a few tricks up their sleeves.”

“I hear there’s a large werewolf population in Northern Uganda too. My mother stayed with them for a few years when she was running from Valentine. Perhaps they could help.” Clary interjected.

Magnus looked skeptical. “Werewolves don’t readily interact with other downworlders, certainly not with shadowhunters.”

“Well they helped my mom. Maybe they’d be willing to help us too.” Clary clenched her jaw stubbornly.

Magnus sighed pursing his lips. “We do need all the help we can get. And the seelies owe me for saving one of their own from the Popo Bawa. They might be willing to help us get close. Their cloaking magic is unparalleled and they have the advantage of having nature at their command. The birds and the bees could give us intel we might not be able to get any other way.”

Izzy nodded. “Let’s do it then. Let’s make alliances, get the cup and vanquish the enemy. After that, we can sort out this mess with you, Clary and Magnus.”

“Mess?” Clary asked.

Izzy gave her a pitying look. “My mother has some very rigid ideas of how life is supposed to work. Going against her will take some leverage and a lot of persuasion. If we have something she wants, she might be willing to give us something we want.”

“Which is…?” Clary still looked honestly puzzled.

“A chance for Alec to live his most authentic life.” Izzy raised eyebrows at Clary as if it should be pretty obvious.

Clary looked from Alec to Magnus and then Izzy. “Oh. You mean…because he’s been in the closet? Maybe your mother just doesn’t know.”

Alec’s laugh was bitter. “Oh she knows.”

That made Clary’s brow furrow. “Well if she knew why would she tell you to marry _me_?”

Jace gave a deep sigh. “I get that you haven’t been in the shadowworld for a long time but surely you know that such patriarchal societies tend to be against anything that might be outside of the status quo – including having a good dose of homophobia mixed with their misogyny and racism.”

Everyone stared at him.

“Er…Yeah, I guess I hadn’t thought about it.” Clary said quietly.

“You don’t have to because it doesn’t really affect you directly does it?”

Izzy shook her head. “Okay, now you’re just freaking me out, Jace.”

Her brother turned to look at her with a grin. “Huh, and you thought I was just a pretty face.”

“Maia’s been giving you lectures hasn’t she?” Alec smirked.

“Who’s Maia?” Clary asked.

“This werewolf bartender my brother is sleeping with,” Alec said, and he was actually grinning.

“Oh.” Clary looked crestfallen.

“It’s nothing serious. We’re just locked in a battle of wills is all.” Jace hastened to assure her.

Clary frowned, not really understanding what that meant. “Oh.”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Well,” Magnus clapped his hands, “Be that as it may, you all need to go back to the Institute and make your excuses, for tomorrow, we travel.”

Alec looked over at Clary. “Her too?” he asked Magnus.

“Does she have to?”

Alec nodded. “Yeah, I think it’ll strengthen our case.”

“And for some reason, you don’t want to leave her alone with Magnus.” Izzy chuckled as Alec glared at her.

Jace leaned forward, studying him speculatively. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the jealous type.”

Alec narrowed his eyes at his brother.

“Are you kidding? Have you ever tried to touch his bow without permission?” Izzy was grinning as she watched Alec’s face darken.

“Hmm, you’re right. He _is_ possessive as fuck.” Jace nodded at Izzy, his own grin widening.

Alec’s chair scraped noisily at the hardwood floor as he pushed it back. “We should go now.” He announced loudly.

Magnus looked up at him, eyes shining, a pleased smile on his face. “Of course Alexander. The sooner you get back, the more time you have to prepare for this trip.”

He lifted his hand, snapped his fingers and whirled his arm around in a circle. A portal appeared, ready to transport them to the institute.

Clary ran to Magnus and gave him a tight hug. “I don’t want to go.”

Magnus looked up at Alec’s tight expression. “She won’t hurt you. Alexander won’t let her, isn’t that right, Alexander?”

Alec pursed his lips, giving a tight nod. “I shall return her safe to you tomorrow.” He tried to give a smile but really could not while Clary was plastered like an octopus all over Magnus. He kissed her fiery curls before putting her away from him. His eyes turned to Alexander and he smirked. “Would you like a kiss too?”

_Actually, yes I would._

Alec shook his head slowly. “I’m good.”

Magnus simply stared at him with narrowed eyes before closing the distance between them. “Well, I am not.” He murmured before pressing his lips gently to Alec’s.

It was as if a dam broke; Alec pulled Magnus closer, fitting their lips more tightly together. His right hand roamed possessively along Magnus back, the other threading its way through Magnus’ magnificent hair, pulling his head back so that Alec could really go to town on his lips. He chomped awkwardly on Magnus’ bottom lip, not having that much experience with kissing and his body arched of its own accord, wanting to be closer to Magnus’ warm, welcoming embrace.

He could not be close _enough._

Magnus’ fingers were digging into his arms as he held on for dear life, while Alec plundered him mercilessly, his audience forgotten. When Alec nipped a little too hard at the inside of his bottom lip, Magnus made a sound, half-pain, half-pleasure and reason came flooding back to Alec’s mind.  He let go of Magnus’ lips, stepping back hastily as he tried to control his harsh breathing and his raging erection.

“S-sorry.” He mumbled, face flaming as his parabatai whistled and clapped and his sister smirked at him. This just might have been the most embarrassed Alec had ever been in his life.

Still.

He could not resist giving Clary a look of utter triumph.

“That’s quite alright Alexander.” Magnus touched his lip reverently, healing the bite while staring at Alec like he would possibly not mind being bitten again. Alec leaned in and pecked softly at Magnus finger and his soft, vulnerable lip. Magnus’ eyes widened and his eyes crossed as he followed Alec’s movement. He made a small hurt sound as Alec kissed him, leaning in and then stumbling backward, blinking blearily up at him like he had been drugged.

Jace cleared his throat loudly. “We should go.”

Something inside Alec growled _. Such a cockblock Jace._

“Yes, let’s go.” He agreed.

Magnus gave him a knowing smile, leaning in to peck his cheek. “Come back tonight.” He whispered before stepping away.

Alec felt like his heart might explode out of his chest.

 


	42. Drunk Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex does him.

“Alec? ALEC?” 

Alec stopped trying to act like he hadn’t heard, and with a sigh turned to face his mother. 

“Where are you going?” her voice was low and harsh as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“Out.” 

Her eyes narrowed further. “What does that mean? You are not on patrol tonight.” 

“I mean out. Like my own personal business.” 

Maryse’s lips pursed and her face reddened as annoyance levels increased. “Don’t be rude Alec.” 

“Mother I’m sorry but I’m running late. I will see you probably tomorrow. Don’t wait up.” He lengthened his stride and hurried away, hiding a smirk at his own temerity. For sure his mother would make him pay for it, but for tonight, he had one goal. 

Magnus Bane. 

He tripped down the church stairs and across the park, still going at a fast pace lest his mother try to stop him. Isabelle had already tried, and failed, to dissuade him from going through with this.  _He_  had tried to dissuade himself. 

This was reckless and foolish and any number of bad things. It ‘wasn’t like him’ as Isabelle put it. Alec wondered about that. How could he know that it wasn’t like him when he hid at least half of who he was behind a wall of competence and stoicism? Maybe it was exactly like him to go off on booty calls after work. This  _was_ his first one after all. 

Alec took a deep shuddering breath as he thought about being with Magnus again. He lifted his hand to hail a taxi because he was too impatient for walking. 

“Brooklyn” he barked, “And hurry.” 

*** 

He raised his hand to knock on the door but it was already opening. He stood frozen for a moment, waiting to see what was on the other side. His shoulders dropped in disappointment when all that was there was a long empty corridor. Jazz music was playing, the crooning lilt of Nina Simone beckoning him closer, urging him to shed his fears and preconceptions and just step into...the light. 

Alec shook his head like a wet dog, wondering where all the poetry was coming from. Still, he took a step into the house and for a moment, he felt lighter as if he really had left his hang-ups outside the door. 

“Magnus?” he called softly. 

“Yes, come in my dear Alexander, close the door behind you. Would you like a drink?” Magnus was already handing him a blue colored cocktail, complete with umbrella by the time he was turning back from closing the door. 

“Uuh, sure.” he said wrapping his huge fingers around the slim stem of the glass. For a moment he was afraid he might break it, he didn’t think he had ever held anything so delicate. The Institute did not believe in fine dining for its shadowhunters.  

Much to his relief, the drink was sweet but then, the burning after taste hit and he felt as if someone had hit him over the head with a nine pin on fire. 

“Ooh.” he breathed in deep. 

Magnus was grinning at him, “You like?” 

“Mmmm,” was all Alec could manage. His vocal cards had possibly been burned off. He might never speak again. He took another gulp, just to be sure.  

The floor seemed to be undulating.  

“Are we on the sea?” he staggered a little. Magnus’ hand closed around his wrist, making him feel warm and wanted. 

“Okay that’s enough for now,” Magnus said and the glass disappeared from Alec’s hand. He whimpered in disappointment and Magnus pulled him closer, stroking his hair. 

“Do you want to drink and pass out or stop drinking and fuck me?” he whispered in Alec’s ear. 

Alec’s whole body shuddered in reaction. “Th-the second-d one,” he tried to articulate as clearly as he could. 

“We can’t do it if you can’t say it,” Magnus whispered, his tongue coming out to lick at Alec’s neck like a cat. Alec was glad he wasn’t holding the glass anymore because it would have shattered on the floor from hands gone nerveless.  

Before he knew it, Magnus was propelling him towards the bedroom, his feet floating on air. He was sinking onto the silky softness of Magnus’ duvet his hands spread wide, the world whirling around him too fast to keep up with. Magnus disappeared somewhere and then returned with a bottle of water, that he pressed to Alec’s lips. 

“Drink this. I want you to remember what happened in the morning.” 

Alec sat up, ready to protest his sobriety but was too busy swaying, and trying to grab hold of something to steady himself to speak. 

“Hmm, maybe I am drunk.” 

Magnus just laughed.  

Alec fished out his stele, lifted up his shirt and ran it over his healing rune. Sobriety became a reality and he looked up to Magnus with a smile. 

“I’m sober now.” 

Magnus put down the bottle of water. “So you are.” his warm, soft lips closed over Alec’s, his beringed hands flitting beneath Alec’s shirt, pulling it off in one smooth movement, without so much as moving his lips from Alec’s. 

“Wow, you’re really magical,” Alec said moving back to look into Magnus’ eyes. They shone, cat like, gold and he stared, wondering if he was still drunk. Magnus smirked at him.  

“That I am.” he clicked his fingers and Alec was naked. 

Alec jumped, startled, as he looked down at himself, shivering a bit with cold and desire. Before he could say a word, Magnus was covering him with his warmth, his – equally naked – body blanketing Alec. He could feel Magnus... _everywhere._  

He pumped his hips experimentally, wanting some relief for the iron bar that was his dick.  

“Ah ah, this isn’t a porno.” Magnus said clicking his tongue chidingly. 

Alec wanted to ask him what he should do but he was embarrassed. 

Magnus sat back, slipping off Alec to lie beside him, his head cradled in his hand and his legs crossed at the ankle. He presented a long line of golden godness and Alec just did not know what to do. 

“Let’s talk.” Magnus said softly and Alec stared in disbelief. 

“Wha...? Talk?” 

“Yes, let’s talk about your sexual fantasies. All those years of having no one but your right hand for company, what did you dream of Alec?” 

Alec’s cheeks were flaming. He licked his lips. His eyes flitted around the room. “How do you know it wasn’t my  _left_  hand?” 

“I’ve seen you use your bow and arrow. You're right handed. So, tell me, what do you fantasize about? This is a safe zone Alec, no judgement.” 

Alec swallowed. He really wanted to think of something phenomenal to say but the truth was that, he had nothing. Jace had played a role in his fantasies. He had imagined them kissing. Maybe touching each other’s dicks...but that was about it. It was sad, was what it was. He looked at Magnus, lying on the bed, facing him, his kohl-lined eyes bright with interest, a little bit of blue hair falling across his forehead. Licking his lips with anticipation of fulfilling any and all sexual fantasies Alec might have. 

“This,” he said softly, “A man who wants me back.” 

Magnus hiccuped.  

Alec stared at him, wondering if he had managed to shock the great high warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. Suddenly Magnus was blanketing him again and kissing him as if he held all the oxygen in the room and Magnus were  _suffocating._ It was heady stuff.  

Intoxicating. 

He could feel Magnus’ dick jerk against his and his hand crept between them to just brush against that hard length.  

He wanted... 

Magnus moved from his mouth to his neck, sucking for all he was worth, his hands flicking Alec’s nipples, causing them to harden. So many sensations everywhere. Alec felt like he was drunk again. His leg jerked, and his knee bumped into Magnus’ 

“Sorry,” he whispered. 

“Don’t be sorry. Wrap your legs around my waist.” Magnus mumbled, his mouth busy working at gnawing Alec’s collarbone off before heading down to suckle his nipple. 

Alec almost came just from that. He moaned long and hard, not knowing how to hold back, to make it last. When Magnus’ hands reached down and cupped his ass, kneading them softly, that was  _it_. 

Ejaculate came flooding out of him like he was going for a redo of Noah’s ark. He moaned long and hard, face scrunched with effort, a vein beating double time at his temple. Magnus kept right on suckling at his nipples while his hand, already greased, breached him slowly, kneading at his flesh, so soft, so gentle, so careful, Alec hardly felt it when he breached him. He was too busy, not controlling his limbs in post-orgasmic somnolence. 

He wasn’t paying too much attention to Magnus, only acknowledging that whatever he was doing felt damn good. But then there was something wet breaching his ass and he had to raise his head to be sure that, yes, Magnus had put his tongue in there.  

He was torn between protest and curiosity.  

Both of those were beaten out by sensation. 

Centuries of experience will out. Magnus was going to kill him. 

Alec was hard again. 

Magnus’s hand was replaced by his - ringless – finger. He rubbed at something inside Alec that made him arch off the bed in despair. He was going to come for a second time and Magnus hadn’t even come once. It was unconscionable.  

But he was a pawn in Magnus’ hands and he was helpless against his skill. His second orgasm bore down mercilessly upon him and he cried out, pleading for forgiveness or maybe for respite. What he got was more of the same. 

“Magnus!” 

“Yes darling?” 

“You...I...” 

“Tell me.” Magnus whispered against his ear, his warm breath ghosting against Alec’s flesh, making him shiver again. 

Alec didn’t have the words so he just grabbed Magnus, fused their lips together, wrapped his legs around Magnus’ waist and pulled him in. 

Magnus was no fool. He got the message and soon Alec was full of Magnus.  

The torture didn’t stop though. Magnus used his dick like a whisk, swirling and thrusting, kneading, hitting that same spot from different angles. Killing Alec softly. 

“Magnus!” Alec threw his head back and let himself go, his flesh clamping around Magnus’ like a vice, as Alec milked him for all he was worth, his own – third – orgasm, an after thought. 

He collapsed on the bed, eyes closed, breathing hard, while Magnus lay on him, his chest rising as Alec’s fell and falling when Alec’s rose.  

They breathed in sync.  

Quiet 

Worn out. 

“Y-you have to teach me how to do that.” Alec said at last. 

He could feel Magnus’ smile against his chest. “Oh Alec, I have to teach you how to do a lot of things. Stick with me kid, and I will give you fantasies you never imagined.” 

Alec looked up at the chandelier on the ceiling. “You already did,” he said very quietly. 


	43. Existentialism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec tries to juggle.

Alec opened his eyes, going from asleep to alert in 0.2 seconds like any self-respecting  shadowhunter . The room he was in was not his own; his was all dull colors and functional furniture. He stretched, feeling decadent on luxuriant silk sheets.

Silk…

Magnus.

He had spent the night at Magnus’. 

He didn’t know whether to be terrified or impressed with himself. Sure, when he got back to the institute, he’d have some ‘ splaining  to do, but right now, here…he flexed his back muscles, feeling the ache of muscles well used. Like after a rigorous training session or a downtown chase of  ravenor  demons. 

Only better because with the ache was the knowledge of a night spent pleasuring and being pleasured. He could see why Izzy was always sneaking off now. This was definitely worth all the disapproving looks his mother could throw his way.

“Good morning,” the smell of java and sandalwood filled the room and Alec smiled, looking toward the doorway where Magnus was advancing on him, brandishing a tray filled with delicious smelling things. He made a moue of disappointment.

“Why are you dressed?”

Magnus gave him a smile which was half amused, half smug. “Well, unlike  _ some _  of us, I have  work  to do.  Lots to prepare.  Going after Valentine is no joke.”

Alec sat up slowly. “I mean…I know that. But it’s barely sunrise.”

“Indeed. I thought  shadowhunters  were like monks. Up at 4 am .” Magnus lifted an elegant eyebrow as he reached for the tray he’d placed on the bedside table and snagged a piece of toast.

“I think I  _ slept  _ at 4am?” it felt good to be able to be grumpy; Alec decided he was going to  indulge that  side of his personality more. “I’ve barely rested.”

Magnus grinned. “Well, I didn’t hear you complaining at the time, and now it’s too late.” He got gracefully to his feet and glided out of the room. “Eat your breakfast and then go and get your crew, Alexander. For today, we hunt a rogue.”

Alec picked up his coffee and sipped it decadently, leaning back against the pillows. Just for a few minutes more, he was going to be this new Alec who got served breakfast in bed and complained about early mornings. It would sustain him when he had to go and stand before his mother, and betray Magnus’ trust.

***

“I have to go. Got to make arrangements to be away from the institute for a while.”

Magnus smiled. “I love it when you get all...shadowhunterish.”

Alec tried to smile as he stood up. “Th-thank you for breakfast.”

Magnus leaned back in his chair with a smile. “The pleasure was all mine.”

Something twisted in Alec’s chest at those words. It even sounded like Magnus meant them. He tried to recall when the last time was that he’d had so decadent a meal, whose purpose was enjoyment as well as nourishment. He could not recall.  Shadowhunters  generally did not go out to dinner or make elaborate meals for themselves. Hell, half the time wh e n h e w a s w o r k i n g h e ’ d j u s t s w i p e t h e n o u r i s h m e n t r u n e a n d c a l l i t a d a y .

Being with Magnus was teaching him sensuality in things he had never imagined.  He was grateful for it, at the same time that he was mad at it. Not so much at Magnus but at the whole situation. He could have lived – happily – well...relatively happily, in ignorance of the existence of such a way of living. But now...he was trapped in a vortex of knowing but not having.

_ Ignorance is bliss indeed. _  He thought wistfully as he walked slowly up the  church  steps, Magnus having  portaled  him  into Central Park, far enough away that he could look like he walked. 

_ I don’t want to do this anymore.  _ He felt a pit in his stomach that he could not define. He did not even know what ‘this’ was. 

Living?

Existing?

Being a shadowhunter?

Exposing himself to the toxicity of his family?

Hiding Magnus?

Homosexuality...?

He collapsed onto the stairs, head in his hands, not ready to put his game face on. He needed like...two more hours. 

Fishing out his phone, he stared hop efully at it as if Magnus would know what he needed and send him a text this very minute. He was aware that he’d put the warlock on something of a pedesta-

** You seemed down this morning, are you okay? **

The ding of the text startled him and he almost dropped his phone. He stared at the message. 

Yes, maybe he put Magnus on a pedestal but it was clearly deserved. He hit reply, intending to tell the warlock that he was fine.

He jumped in startlement as if a spirit possessing him had written and sent the reply, and not him.

** Do you want to talk about  ** it?

Alec felt a solitary tear roll down his face. He was so  _ done _  with all these dramatics! W as he making everything hard or was he really sealed in a box with no light, no air, and no way out? His fingers flew over his keyboard, without consultation with his brain even as he tried to figure it out.

** It won’t help. **

He got to his feet, took a deep breath and walked into the Institute.

***

“Mother.” his voice was quiet, tired. As if he’d spent the night patrolling and had had no rest.

“Alec. How close are you to completing your mission?”

Alec shrugged. “We have a location. Now all that’s left is retrieval.”

Maryse stiffened, staring at him in surprise as if she had never expected that he would actually succeed. “Well, that is good news. What are you waiting for?”

Alec took a deep breath. “ W e h a v e t o b e a w a y f r o m t h e I n s t i t u t e f o r a f e w d a y s . T h e r e i s s o m e d a n g e r , d e m o n s a r e i n v o l v e d . I h a v e s e c o n d e d J a c e a n d I z z y t o a c c o m p a n y m y s e l f , C l a r y a n d M a g n u s t o t h e l o c a t i o n . ”

Maryse nodded , her face relaxing slightly. “Good. I expect a full report – and the cup – when you get back.”

“Of course, mother.”

“Dismissed.”

Alec walked out of his mother’s office, a deep pit of acid churning in his breast.


End file.
